Updated: Feb. 13, 2013

Eric Rudder is responsible for the company’s overall technical strategy, technology policy, and forward-looking development efforts. He oversees Microsoft Research, one of the world's premier computer science research organizations, as well as the company’s Trustworthy Computing Group, Technology Policy Group, Startup Business Group, and the Strategic Software and Silicon Architectures Team. 

Previously, Rudder served as senior vice president of Server and Tools, and was responsible for leading the company's outreach to the developer community. Rudder and his team delivered the overall programming model for the .NET platform and created the best tools for the developer and designer communities.

Rudder has also served as vice president of Technical Strategy working directly with Chairman Bill Gates on Microsoft's technical planning. His past roles at Microsoft have spanned networking, operating systems and developer tools, in both leadership and technical capacities.

Rudder graduated with honors from Brown University in 1988, and currently lives in Seattle with his wife and two children. He is an avid triathlete and is active in several charitable organizations, including Youth Theater Northwest.