HP mixes it up with new UK management

HP has taken a mix-and-match approach to the management team that will head up the new company in the UK. The five senior managers for the UK represent both the former Hewlett-Packard and Compaq outfits, with former Compaq executives taking three of the five top jobs.

Heading up the UK as general manager is former Compaq European chief financial officer Steve Gill, said HP on Thursday. Before joining Compaq in October 2000, Gill was chief financial officer at Ingram Micro.

Joining Gill from Compaq is Jude Meadows, who moves from being director of consumer business at the old Compaq to general manager of the Personal Systems Group at the new HP, and Jim Kent, who returns to HP as general manager for enterprise systems. Kent was formerly director of Compaq Global Services in the UK -- a post which he had only held for 18 months, having transferred in autumn 2001 from HP where he had spent 26 years.

Former HP UK sales director Andy Isherwood is now general manager for enterprise systems at HP, and Ian Whittaker, takes up the post of general manager of HP's imaging and printing group in the UK and Ireland. Whittaker was previously general manager for HP's channel organisation.

The company has announced about 1,500 senior executives worldwide so far, and plans to announce the names of the next level down by the end of May, said Gill. Moe than 15,000 jobs are expected to be cut over the next year.

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