Mo: As per company milestone, it should be done by the end of March. We are only three weeks away from that deadline.
There is no such deadline. You might call it a guideline, but it is definitely not a deadline.
When Ajit Manocha said, "Several high quality candidates are being considered. We hope in the near term to identify POET's permanent CEO who will continue the process technology development and help us close key industry partnership deals. We look forward to identifying the right successor," he was expressing a hope, nothing more, nothing less.
I think Ajit will not pose any time pressure upon himself. Selecting the best possible candidate for the CEO post is far more important than to match any timelines. If the process takes longer than estimated, so be it.