Microsoft Corp. is asking shareholders to expand its board in a move toward greater director independence and international experience for the leadership of a company that has tangled fiercely with governments worldwide.
The world's largest software company on Thursday said it had invited BMW chief Helmut Panke to join its board, along with Charles H. Noski, former vice chairman and chief financial officer of AT&T.
Panke, chairman of the board of management of BMW Bayerische Motoren Werke AG of Frankfurt, Germany, since May 2002, would be the first Microsoft board member from outside the United States.
"Helmut will bring a valuable global perspective to our board," chairman Bill Gates said in a news release. "His experience as chairman of one of Europe's most successful companies will be invaluable."
|