HP board in Carly's corner
"In the early summer of 1999, when we were interviewing Carly (for the CEO post), we discussed it would take a minimum of three years to turn things around and there would be lots of ups and downs," said George Keyworth II, an HP director and also chairman of public policy research institute The Progress & Freedom Foundation. "We are absolutely behind her and know there will be challenges."
Keyworth's statement of support comes amid a rebuilding period for the Palo Alto, Calif.-based computing giant. HP has been hit hard by the technology decline, with most product divisions showing losses when the company reported earnings last week for its fiscal third quarter.
The board, according to Keyworth, is taking the long view of the situation. When Fiorina was hired, the board envisioned that it would take three years to cure some of the issues then facing HP. Fiorina, in fact, signed a three-year employment contract. The reform measures haven't fully kicked in, but Fiorina is only two years into her tenure. --Dawn Kawamoto, Special to ZDNet News