Chris Liddell, who's served as Microsoft's chief financial officer for four and a half years, intends to leave the company rather soon.  Microsoft announced that Peter Klein will be transitioning in over the next month, and then Liddell will depart at the end of the 2009.

It should comfort Microsoft fans and/or shareholders to know that Liddell isn't leaving in any sort of disgrace; CEO Steve Ballmer complimented him in a formal statement, and Liddell in fact seems to be interested in becoming a CEO himself.

Klein also said, "I'm honored to take on the role of Microsoft CFO.  I've learned a lot working with Chris, and I'm excited about the opportunities ahead for Microsoft.  We have an incredible pipeline of products, we have strong financial and operational accountability, and we are well-positioned for growth as the economy recovers."

So let's now take a closer look at Klein.  With degrees from the University of Washington and Yale, he started at Microsoft in 2002, and served for a time as CFO of Microsoft's Server and Tools Business.  At the moment, he's CFO of Microsoft's Business Division, which puts him in charge of an $18.9 billion organization and 7,800 full-time employees.

Klein's not exactly from the minor leagues, then.  Count on the transition going smoothly.

Related Articles:

> Is The Murdoch Bing Deal Really Just About The Wall Street Journal?

> Report: Microsoft, News Corp. Plotting Against Google

> Microsoft Takes Users Behind Bing