Who will Ballmer tap to lead Microsoft after the reorganization?

Microsoft photo

Qi Lu, president of the Online Services Division at Microsoft

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is expected to announce details of his reported reorganization of the company next week. And there's a short list of likely candidates to head up the various new divisions.

Microsoft is quickly closing in on 100,000 employees, and overseeing a work force of that size while keeping up with the fast-changing tech industry has presented a serious challenge for the company. Many hope the reorganization will help align Microsoft under a ?devices and services? business so it can move faster and compete better.

That list of possible leaders was shortened this week after Don Mattrick, who led the Interactive Entertainment Business (including Xbox) for Microsoft, decided to leave to take a job as CEO of game-maker Zynga.

Here?s a look at the people who remain and have been reported as likely candidates for top leadership positions once the reorganization is finalized:

Julie Larson-Green, possible head of hardware and devices, including Surface, Xbox and Windows Phone

Larson-Green was promoted to head up engineering at the Windows division late last year after longtime Microsoft leader Steven Sinofsky abruptly left the company. Microsoft recognized Larson-Green back in 2008 for shaking up the user interface for Microsoft Office 2007.

Microsoft wrote at the time, ?Larson-Green?s ability to argue her vision without necessarily being able to address the myriad objections in detail is a remarkable trait in a data-driven culture such as Microsoft?s.?

Larson-Green is a Western Washington University grad who applied for a job at Microsoft just after graduation and was turned down, according to a 2010 interview with Mary Jo Foley, a reporter who has covered Microsoft for years.

Emily Parkhurst covers the technology industry for the Puget Sound Business Journal/TechFlash.

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