Robert J. Herbold

Robert J. Herbold, retired executive vice president and chief operating officer of Microsoft Corporation, is the Managing Director of Herbold Group, LLC, a consulting business focused on profitability, and he serves on the board of directors of a number of companies. He joined Microsoft in November 1994 as executive vice president and chief operating officer, retiring in spring, 2001. Prior to joining Microsoft, Herbold spent 26 years at The Procter & Gamble Company. In his last 5 years with P&G, he served as senior vice president of marketing. The author also of THE FIEFDOM SYNDROME and SEDUCED BY SUCCESS, he has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Cincinnati and both a master's degree in mathematics and a Ph.D. in computer science from Case Western Reserve University.

WHAT'S HOLDING YOU BACK?: Ten Bold Steps That Define Gutsy Leaders (Jossey-Bass, 2011)