Whitman Is Named Hewlett-Packard Chief
#1

New York Times:

Meg Whitman, eBay's former chief executive, was named to lead Hewlett-Packard on Thursday, the company said. Meg Whitman, the former chief executive of eBay, lost in her recent bid to become governor of California.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/23/technology/whitman-expected-to-be-named-at-hp.html

Edited: 22 Sept 2011, 4:32 p.m.

#2

Whitman at H.P.? The Idea Distresses the Tech World.


Link

#3

If Whitman reverses the plan to spin off personal systems, it will make me wonder whether the whole thing wasn't a short-and-distort operation (the opposite of pump-and-dump).

#4

That is indeed good news!!!

#5

The sort of official unofficial word is that the board approved of the plan to radically shift toward software and services, but didn't like Apotheker's way of selling it to Wall Street, or his ability to lead the charge in that direction. But who knows? Cringely thought Meg was scheming on the top job way back in February. I wouldn't be surprised if they went into carpet cleaning at this point.

#6

?!? Did I miss anything?

#7

Well, I can't understand how a group of idiots can lead such a historical company to the bankrupt!

First, the complete ignorant on tech - Ms. Karly. A celebrity of business!!! Ha,ha,ha ...

She starts the fall down of HP, putting the tech production - the real fundaments of HP - to a new enterprise, Agilent.

Each new CEO brings with him/her a home work from last firm the incumbence of making HP buying some putrid part of old job.

It's unbelievable how HP is far from its origin. How could such genious factory be quartered by ganancy and easy profit.

I really believe their own employees should buy each part that is still standing up and make new Agilents ... but in USA, all production line. Looking for low costs and producing everything in China (or wathever) is what I call: a shoot on own feet.

#8

Worst. Decision. Ever.

Fiorina was horrible and destroyed the HP Way. Apotheker was a huge mistake and would have given away HP's cash cow if kept on board. However, Whitman? I think they would have been better off picking up someone who actually has vision and also gives a darn about engineering good products. Good luck, HP. It was nice knowing you.

Mark

#9

Not really. Maybe for shareholders who get a temporary boost to their share value from the irrational exuberance that follows this announcement. However, I think HP is playing the last card out of their deck and it is going to land straight in the toilet.

Regards,

Mark

#10

H-P ousted CEO Leo Apotheker and replaced him with Meg Whitman, but it won't immediately back away from Apotheker's strategy to separate the PC business.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903703604576586753827390510.html

#11

What a shame!

#12

I don't see this as bad. Whitman has a proven record with ebay. Not may people can claim in increase in revenue of 8000% The articles slam her for not being a good politician. They'd slam her even worse if she was a former governor ("HP hires politician to save company").

#13

Quote:
I don't see this as bad. Whitman has a proven record with ebay.

I think ebay was in the right place at the right time - anybody with some experience could have grown it. The easy growth is done - just think of all the bitching and moaning that has occurred here with regard to their recent trends to try for more revenue by nickel and diming the sellers.

HP was different: they once had unquestioned superiority in test and measurement equipment (except, perhaps, oscilloscopes and niche equipment such as picoammeters). Every engineer in the US (if not the world) dreamt of the latest HP instrument for his lab. They spun that off (Agilent) and, IMHO, have been going downhill ever since.

You can sell only so many PCs and printers - so HP may be closer to ebay than one might think, in terms of stagnant product and marketplace. If she didn't turn ebay around, what is she going to do differently at HP.

#14

eBay can nickel and dime people, and generally be as annoying as they want because they have no real competition. That's why we loath it so much, but we use it. Running a business without competition is going to be very different than HP. Having real concerns about customers, quality, and efficiency might be new concepts for Whitman.

#15

I agree, Mark. I don't trust Whitman at all.

I'm just glad we got the 10bii+, 12C 30th Yr Anniversary, and a 15C re-release before it all went down.

This should make for interesting, if not disturbing talk at this year's HHC.

#16

"Is HP's board the worst ever?"

CNN link

"HP's Board of Directors Is Pathetic"

Forbes Link

"These guys are a bunch of clowns, surpassed in incompetence only by Yahoo!’s (YHOO) board."

#17

Quote:


"These guys are a bunch of clowns, surpassed in incompetence only by Yahoo!’s (YHOO) board."


Or perhaps Motorola. Sell off all your core competencies, and pat yourself on the back for the brilliant strategic moves.
#18

HP made plenty of stuff overseas in their heyday, and it wasn't a big problem. I don't think moving production lines to the USA would solve any of HP's current problems, but it would hurt their bottom line, either by a significant decrease to their profit margin, or increased list prices, either of which hurt the bottom line.

How overseas production is managed is another story. It can be done well, or it can be done poorly.

#19

Hi, Eric

My feeling about producing something abroad is the basis on this is done: HP (and other inventors) is giving its technology to be copied.
Also, when they privileges other to make all the service, I believe that they are loosing the capability of doing it at home...

HP calculators were always more expensive than others, I believe even TI ones, but this was compensated by their quality. You can operate your 11C, 15C or 41C until today, try do this with a TI-59 - it probably will have serious keyboard problems.

HP have produced its calculators here in Brazil too, but, at that time, there was no transfer of details or it would almost be impossible to replicate its hardware as it is today.

Well, any way, this is just my modest opinion. I really don't have all information to judge a big CEO or predict something. I just don't want to see people loosing their job due to bad administrators.

#20

Anybody has to be better than Fiorina was...but I don't have high hopes. Can't say I would be surprised if the PC/handheld division were saved/restored, though they've already lost a lot of consumer goodwill.

#21

Associated Press

NEW YORK - Hewlett-Packard Co.'s stock sank Friday to its lowest level in six years, as investors worried that new CEO Meg Whitman isn't the right person to turn the company's fortunes around.

http://online.wsj.com/article/AP56756aea195f42608f26847847708281.html

#22

Way to go Meg. (sarcaism). She does not inspire any confidence in anyone.



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