> The fact that lead positions in a software company are being filled by salespeople and PowerPoint/Excel 'wizards' says a lot about the company, doesn't it?

The lead position in a large company (in any industry) generally requires little in-depth knowledge of the product. The lead positions (CEO, CFO) are there to report to boards, shareholders, and regulators. Sure they might know and be interested in the product, but the CFO of MS and Apple generally isn't going to be a software engineer, just as the CFO of Audi or GM isn't going to be a mechanic.