Microsoft Loses Its CFO, Promotes From Within

Microsoft is losing its chief financial officer, Chris Liddell (pictured left), who will be departing the company at the end of the year. Liddell will be replaced by Peter Klein (below), the current CFO of Microsoft's Business Division. Lidell joined in May, 2005 from International Paper. The stock is at about the same place as when he joined. Liddell has overseen a period of cost-cutting and stock buybacks at Microsoft. Klein heads up finance for Microsoft's largest division, which includes the Office business. Last quarter, the Business Division brought in $4.4 billion in revenues and $2.9 billion in operating income, which was nearly twice as much profits as Microsoft's Windows business. Microsoft is handing over the corporate CFO spot to teh man with the most individual financial responsibility in the company.