Accenture Director Joins Board

Dina Dublon, former vice president and chief financial officer of
JPMorgan Chase, has been elected to Microsoft’s board of directors. Dublon is also a
member of the board of directors of the consulting and IT services company Accenture,
which deepens the links between the two companies: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sits on
Accenture’s board, and the two companies have a joint venture in Avanade, which
specializes in Microsoft solutions. Dublon, who will also join the board’s Audit
Committee, will bring additional financial expertise to the board, an important factor
considering recent financial oversight legislation, such as Sarbanes-Oxley.

Dublon replaces former Simpson Timber executive William Gary Reed, Jr.,
who retired from Microsoft’s board in Nov. 2004. With Dublon’s election, Microsoft’s board
stands at 10 members, including eight members who are not currently employed by Microsoft.
The company’s corporate governance guidelines suggest that this size and composition are
appropriate for the board, which makes further appointments unlikely unless other members
retire.