LinkedIn Co-Founder Reid Hoffman has joined the board of directors at Microsoft. The announcement comes following Microsoft’s $26.2 Billion LinkedIn acquisition from last year. The move will see the two companies move closer together and perhaps work upon mutually beneficial partnerships and integrations.
Remarking that there was a “delightful symmetry” in using a Microsoft Surface Studio to update his LinkedIn profile and post an announcement regarding his new role at Microsoft, Hoffman said:
The reasons the merger made sense in general are also why I’m joining Microsoft’s board. From this position, I will continue to focus on helping LinkedIn fulfill its mission of increasing the economic productivity of individual professionals and the companies they work for. I’ll also contribute more broadly as Microsoft deepens its presence in Silicon Valley and continues to weave social, AI, and other technologies into it products.
Hoffman’s primary job is a partner at the venture capital firm Greylock. However, he has been closely involved with the social networking platforms for professionals and indeed, he has also maintained a workspace of his own next to CEO Jeff Weiner’s office. Before the acquisition, Hoffman had been serving as the Chairman of LinkedIn’s Board. However, he needed to get into a new role after the company’s board was dissolved following its sale to Microsoft.
After extensive discussions with Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and LinkedIn’s Jeff Weiner, Hoffman decided that a position in Microsoft’s board would allow him to serve the companies in the best possible manner.
I will play an ongoing and comprehensive role in LinkedIn as it continues to grow. I’m also looking forward to getting to know employees who have been doing important work at Microsoft and, in particular, working closely with Satya who’s done a terrific job in his first 3 years as CEO.
He also hinted at some of the things we might look forward to in the future after this collusion between Microsoft and LinkedIn.
Imagine a Cortana-like intelligent assistant helping you determine which third-degree connections make the most sense for you to pursue. Or LinkedIn Learning courseware that incorporates Microsoft’s HoloLens mixed reality technology for more immersive learning experiences.
