Reed Hastings Won’t Be Returning To Microsoft’s Board, Will Skip Re-Election

Today, Microsoft announced a shakeup on the board side of the company by announcing that Reed Hastings will not be seeking re-election for the seat he currently holds.

Here’s what Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO, had to say about the noteworthy departure:

Reed has been a terrific board member, and his insights and experience have really helped guide us through a critical period of transformation for both Microsoft and the industry.

To say that Hastings is a busy person is an understatement. He currently sits on the boards of Netflix, Facebook, and DreamBox Learning. Oh, he’s also the CEO of Netflix. Regarding leaving Microsoft’s board, here’s what Hastings had to say:

I’m thrilled to have served on the board at such a pivotal time for Microsoft, including the development of Windows 8, Windows RT and Microsoft Surface, which will bring exciting new opportunities for customers and the industry as a whole. I’ve decided to reduce the number of boards I serve on, so that I can focus on Netflix and on my education work.

Since joining Microsoft’s board in 2007, Hastings has brought a fresh perspective to the company that is trying extremely hard to become relevant in the consumer space again. As Hastings noted, the Surface could assist with that.

Should we see this departure as a bad thing or simply take Hastings at his word? It’s difficult not to wonder that, if the Surface was so exciting, why not stick around for it, especially if Netflix could play a part in Microsoft’s media play? Hard to tell, since I certainly don’t hold nearly the responsibility that Hastings does on a daily basis, and don’t know how he does it.

Some of the board members that are seeking re-election include Bill Gates, the current Microsoft Chairman, Ballmer, and former CFO, Dina Dublon.

[Photo credit: Flickr]