Microsoft holds annual shareholder meeting

REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 30, 2016

"Digital technology is impacting and transforming every human endeavor in every industry," Nadella said. "Microsoft empowers our customers who want to harness new technology, like artificial intelligence, to transform their organizations and find solutions to the biggest challenges in healthcare, agriculture, finance, government — every sector."

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood reported that Microsoft executed well in fiscal year 2016 and reported a strong start to the current fiscal year. Hood noted that Microsoft's innovation road map and disciplined investment expand addressable market opportunities and position the company for growth — an investment in the future that will deliver value for shareholders.

The following proposals were acted on by the company's shareholders at the meeting:

• Re-elected all 11 directors to serve until the next annual meeting of shareholders. All director nominees received a vote of 98 percent of votes cast.
• Approved, on a nonbinding advisory basis, the fiscal year 2016 compensation of the company's named executive officers. The advisory measure received 95 percent of votes cast.
• Ratified the selection of Deloitte & Touche LLP as the company's independent auditor for fiscal year 2017, with a vote of 98 percent of votes cast.
• Approved an amendment to Microsoft's Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, with a vote of 99 percent of votes cast.
• Approved a French Sub Plan under the 2001 Stock Plan, with a vote of 96 percent of votes cast.
• Rejected a shareholder proposal to make amendments to the current Proxy Access for Director Nominations bylaw; the proposal received approximately 26 percent of votes cast.

Microsoft's board of directors consists of John W. Thompson, Microsoft independent chairman; William H. Gates, Microsoft founder and technology advisor; Teri List-Stoll, former executive vice president and chief financial officer of DICK'S Sporting Goods Inc.; G. Mason Morfit, president, ValueAct Capital; Satya Nadella, chief executive officer, Microsoft; Charles H. Noski, former vice chairman of Bank of America Corp.; Dr. Helmut Panke, former chairman of the board of management, BMW AG; Sandra E. Peterson, group worldwide chairman, Johnson & Johnson; Charles W. Scharf, chief executive officer, Visa Inc.; John W. Stanton, chairman, Trilogy Equity Partners; and Padmasree Warrior, chief development officer and U.S. chief executive officer, NextEV. Nine of the 11 board members are independent of Microsoft, which is consistent with the requirement in the company's governance guidelines that a substantial majority be independent.

Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

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