Microsoft’s search for a new chief executive is not likely to reach its conclusion until early next year, a board member said Tuesday in a blog post.

John W. Thompson, a Microsoft board member and chairman of the committee leading the chief executive search, said in the post that the board wanted to provide an update on the process as the end of the calendar year approaches.

“We identified over 100 possible candidates, talked with several dozen, and then focused our energy intensely on a group of about 20 individuals, all extremely impressive in their own right,” Mr. Thompson wrote. “As you would expect, as this group has narrowed, we’ve done deeper research and investigation, including with the full board.” Microsoft Unlikely to Select a New CEO Until Early 2014 [bits.blogs.nytimes.com]