Mark Hurd, HP CEO
Position: 20 Last year: Not ranked
Why? He just reinvented HP
Agree with panel rating?
Mark Hurd assumed the mantle of CEO at HP in 2005, replacing the beleaguered Carly Fiorina. Since then, he has had an uphill struggle to revamp the hardware specialist. But it is a battle the judges feel he has won this year.
In July, HP acquired data centre automation specialist Opsware for $1.6bn, strengthening its position outside the PC market, where it is number one, and moving away from hardware.
This strategy was applauded by the judges, who concluded selling its software was one of HP's traditional failings.
In the words of one judge: "HP was pretending to be an enterprise company and now it really is an enterprise company again."
Hurd has also had to weather a high-level scandal over board-room leaks and phone tapping, culminating in the departure of chairwoman Patricia Dunn.
Hurd had the courage to call the board under which this activity took place "toxic".
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HP CEO Mark Hurd HP has announced plans to acquire networking products maker 3Com for $2.7bn. With the purchase, HP hopes to boost its networking business, particularly in the Chinese market where 3Com is strong, in order to compete better with Cisco.
The plans, which are contingent on CEO Mark Hurd's final approval, would put both units under the leadership of Todd Bradley, the chief of the company's PC group, according to the report, which cited people close to the situation.
HP CEO Mark Hurd hinted at the product when he spoke at Fortune's Brainstorm conference in July. Looking to take advantage of tightened corporate travel budgets, HP has showed off the latest tech to come out of its labs, called Skyroom.
In a statement, HP's chairman and CEO Mark Hurd described Andreessen as "a software pioneer whose leadership has helped shape the internet.Marc's entrepreneurial background and industry expertise will be a welcome addition to the HP board of...
HP plans in coming months to introduce an electronic collaboration tool that combines video conferencing with electronic whiteboarding, CEO Mark Hurd said on Friday. Speaking at Fortune's Brainstorm: Tech conference in Pasadena, California, Hurd...
In 2005, it became evident to CEO Mark Hurd and his executive staff that IT would play a critical role in HP's success. Hurd and his team determined that to become the world's leading IT company they would need a leading IT organization.
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