HP Reups Support for New CEO Amid Criticism

HP’s decision to hire ousted SAP CEO Leo Apotheker to fill the top spot in the wake of Mark Hurd’s dismissal left more than a few industry observers scratching their heads. New York Times columnist Joe Nocera was one of them.

Nocera took aim at Apotheker’s role in a scandal involving the now-defunct SAP subsidiary TomorrowNow, which the company admits illegally downloaded intellectual property from Oracle. But HP shot back in a letter claiming that Apotheker had nothing to do with TomorrowNow, defending the hiring of the former SAP boss, which Nocera chalked up to a the fulfillment of vendetta against Oracle. Can’t we all just play nice? Datamation has the story.

The surprise appointment of former SAP CEO Léo Apotheker to the top spot at HP last month continues to generate controversy. In a letter to the New York Times Monday, HP’s new chairman, Ray Lane, defended Apotheker against charges by Times columnist Joe Nocera that the hiring had more to do with getting back at Oracle (NASAQ: ORCL) for hiring HP’s (NYSE: HPQ) former CEO Mark Hurd.

Nocera also tied Apotheker to a scandal involving an SAP subsidiary TomorrowNow in a case involving the theft of intellectual property from Oracle (via Oracle customers that became customers of TomorrowNow). A trial in that case, scheduled for next month, is expected to focus on damages since SAP (NASDAQ: SAP) has acknowledged the TomorrowNow subsidiary, since shut down, did illegally download certain Oracle assets.

Read the full story at Datamation:


HP Defends CEO Hire, Blasts Hurd — Again