Mason Morfit, president of ValueAct Capital, has been appointed to the Microsoft board of directors and its audit committee. ValueAct Capital is a San Francisco-based investment firm with over $14 billion in assets under management. On Aug. 30, 2013, Microsoft inked a cooperation agreement that gave the firm the option of having Mr. Morfit join the Microsoft board.

Before joining ValueAct Capital in January 2001, Mr. Morfit worked in equity research for Credit Suisse First Boston. He is also a director of Valeant Pharmaceuticals. He has a B.A. from Princeton University and is a CFA charterholder.

Microsoft’s board of directors now consists of eleven members: Steven Ballmer, former Microsoft chief executive officer; Dina Dublon, former chief financial officer of JPMorgan Chase; Bill Gates, Microsoft founder and technology advisor; Maria Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College; Stephen Luczo, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Seagate; David Marquardt, general partner at August Capital; Mason Morfit, president of ValueAct Capital; Satya Nadella, Microsoft chief executive officer; Charles Noski, former vice chairman of Bank of America; Dr. Helmut Panke, former chairman of the board of management at BMW; and John Thompson, chief executive officer of Virtual Instruments.

[Image courtesy: ValueAct Capital]