Is Ford CEO Alan Mulally in the running to replace Steve Ballmer at Microsoft?

Citing sources familiar with the situation, All Things D wrote that Mr. Mulally, 68, is in the forefront” of candidates for the CEO position at Microsoft. Specifically, it’s the former Boeing engineer’s experience in corporate turnarounds that reportedly has Microsoft interested. Mulally has been CEO at Ford since 2006, and has staged a miraculous turnaround at the automaker.

While a Microsoft spokesman declined comment, Ford’s Mark Fields — the heir-apparent to the CEO position at The Blue Oval — downplayed the report.

“There is no change to what we announced in November,” said Fields, Ford’s chief operating officer. He referred to Mulally’s statement from November of 2012 stating that he would would stay at Ford through next year.