Microsoft adds four new members to Board of Directors, announces quarterly dividend

Microsoft yesterday held its annual shareholders meeting, where CEO Satya Nadella discussed the future direction of the company and how Microsoft is helping customers and partners thrive. Four new Board of Directors members were voted on and added during the meeting, and the company also announced its quarterly dividend.

The Microsoft Board of Directors now sees the addition of Reid Hoffman, Hugh Johnston, Penny S. Pritzker, and Arne Sorenson. Hoffman is a partner at Greylock Partners and was a co-founder of LinkedIn, Johnston is the CFO of PepsiCo Inc, Pritzker was a former US Secretary of Commerce, and Sorenson is president and chief executive officer of Marriott International.  Other proposals were acted on by the company’s shareholders can be seen below.

• Approved, on a nonbinding advisory basis, the fiscal year 2017 compensation of the company’s named executive officers. The advisory measure received more than 95 percent of votes cast.
• Approved a yearly advisory vote on executive compensation. The advisory measure received more than 90 percent of votes cast.
  Ratified the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the company’s independent auditor for fiscal year 2018, with over 98 percent of votes cast.
• Approved material terms of the performance goals under the Microsoft Corporation Executive Incentive Plan, with a vote of more than 98 percent of votes cast.
• Approved the Microsoft Corporation 2017 Stock Plan, with a vote of 96 percent of votes cast.

In addition, the Microsoft Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.42 per share, payable on March 8, 2018 to shareholders of record on Feb. 15, 2018, with an ex-dividend date on Feb. 14, 2018.  Appearing front of the same board members, Satya Nadella also discussed Microsoft’s pursuit of a $100 billion gaming industry and Windows 10 reaching 600 million monthly active devices.