HP Shakeup Ousts Three Top Executives

HP ousted two executives on Monday and gave a third a seat on HPs board while relieving her of her day job. HP said the moves are consistent with a strategy that new president and CEO Lo Apotheker outlined in March to better capitalize on strategic market opportunities.

Out after 29 years at HP is Ann Livermore, head of HP Enterprise Services, the main part of HPs business that sells information technology to large businesses and enterprises. Livermore, who in recent years had been considered for the CEO position at times, will join the HP board and serve as interim head of Enterprise Services until a successor is found. Also leaving HP is Pete Bocian, executive VP and chief administrative officer, whose position is being eliminated, and Randy Mott, executive VP and CIO. A search for Motts successor is under way.

HP also announced that Dave Donatelli, executive VP of Enterprise Servers, Storage, Networking and Technology Services, and Bill Veghte, executive VP of the Software division, will now report directly to Apotheker. Jan Zadak, executive VP of Global Sales, will also report directly to Apotheker. A news release explains that those are businesses most critical to customers and that the executives reporting to Apotheker will give their respective units greater visibility and support throughout the entire HP organization.

Two other HP veterans have been given additional duties. Todd Bradley, executive VP of the Personal Systems Group, the unit that sells smartphones, desktop, laptop and tablet computers to consumers, will lead cross-business initiatives focused on expanding HPs market share in China, while Vyomesh Joshi, executive VP of the Imaging and Printing Group, will lead similar efforts in India.

Apotheker was hired as CEO in September 2010 to replace Mark Hurd, who resigned suddenly the month before over a misuse of funds related to payments to a marketing contractor. Apotheker had previously been the CEO of enterprise software company SAP.

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