For the past few days, everyone is talking about Satya Nadella. Not everyone knows who he is. But the one thing that everyone knows is that he has been appointed as the next CEO of Microsoft and that he is an Indian (or Indian-born rather).

Satya Nadella was born in Hyderabad, India, and completed his bachelors with a degree in electronics and communications from the Manipal Institute of Technology. Later, he moved to the US and earned an MS in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and an MBA from the University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business. He played cricket competitively growing and cites it as one of his hobbies today.

He joined Microsoft in 1992, and prior to that he worked in Sun Microsystems as a member of its technology staff. He has been at Microsoft for 22 years now steadily working up. Before being appointed as CEO, he was the Senior Vice President of R&D for the Online Services Division and Vice President of the Microsoft Business Division.

Later, he was made the president of Microsoft’s $19 billion Server and Tools Business and led a transformation of the company's business and technology culture from client services to cloud infrastructure and services. He has been credited for helping bring Microsoft's database, Windows Server and developer tools to its Azure cloud. The revenue from Cloud Services grew to $20.3 billion in June 2013 from $16.6 billion when he took over in 2011.

On January 30th, 2014 he was slated as the frontrunner to succeed Steve Ballmer as the CEO of Microsoft, and on February 4th, 2014, he was announced as the next CEO of Microsoft. He is the third CEO of Microsoft, after Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer.

Previous positions held by Nadella include:

• President of the Server & Tools (February 9, 2011 – February 2014)
• Senior Vice President of Research and Development for the Online Services Division (March 2007 – February 2011)
• Vice President of the Microsoft Business Division
• Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Business Solutions and Search & Advertising Platform Group
• Executive Vice President of Microsoft's Cloud and Enterprise group

Nadella says he joined Microsoft 22 years ago because he saw how clearly Microsoft empowers people to do magical things and ultimately make the world a better place. Many companies, he says, “aspire to change the world. But very few have all the elements required: talent, resources and perseverance. Microsoft has proven that it has all three in abundance.”

Meanwhile at Microsoft, Bill Gates has stepped down as Chairman of the company and has taken up the new role of Technology Adviser.

"Satya is a proven leader with hard-core engineering skills, business vision and the ability to bring people together," Gates said in a statement. "His vision for how technology will be used and experienced around the world is exactly what Microsoft needs as the company enters its next chapter of expanded product innovation and growth."

The company said that Gates, in his new role as founder and technology adviser, "will devote more time to the company, supporting Nadella in shaping technology and product direction."

We wish Mr. Nadella all the best for his and Microsoft’s future.