Microsoft Corp said on Tuesday its Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell will leave the company at the end of the year, as he looks to expand his career beyond being a CFO.

Liddell, 51, has been CFO at the world's largest software company since May 2005. He will be succeeded by Peter Klein, who is currently CFO of Microsoft's Business Division, which makes the highly profitable Office suite of programs.

Microsoft shares fell 16 cents in after-hours trading to $29.74.

(Reporting by Bill Rigby; editing by Carol Bishopric)