Salesforce.com Inc. CRM, +1.21% has promoted Chief Operating Officer Keith Block to co-chief executive alongside founder Marc Benioff, the company announced in a surprise move Tuesday night. "Keith has been my trusted partner in running Salesforce for the past five years, and I'm thrilled to welcome him as co-CEO," Benioff said in a statement. "Keith has outstanding operational expertise and corporate leadership experience, and I could not be happier for his promotion and this next level of our partnership." The company said Benioff would remain chairman of the board and lead Salesforce's "vision and innovation," while Block would lead the company's growth strategy, execution and operations. Salesforce shares are up more than 40% year to date.
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