By Chris Holbrook, 11 July 2001 10:45
NEWS The tussle for control for Computer Associates will result in the departure of one of the company's most senior European executives if current chairman Charles Wang is forced out. Texas software tycoon Sam Wyly is currently battling for control of CA, promising shareholders he'll drive through dramatic changes that could double the share price of the number four software maker. But the general manager for CA Europe has told silicon.com that she'll walk away if Wyly is successful in his controversial attempt to seize control. Hayley Tabor, a long serving CA employee, underlined her support for the current management set-up and strongly believes Wyly's advances lie dead in the water. Tabor said: "If Sam Wyly and his ideas governed the business, I would quit." Last Friday, Wyly and his proposed group, Ranger Governance, filed a proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, detailing a campaign to oust CEO and president Sanjay Kumar and Wang at the company's annual meeting on 29 August. However, the general consensus at CA World this week suggests Wyly will be unsuccessful in his attempted coup. It is thought to be unlikely that he will get the majority vote. Even a personal friend of Wyly, Swiss billionaire Walter Haefner, who owns about 21 per cent of CA stock, has already proclaimed his support to the present board. Wyly owns only one per cent. James Governor, an analyst with Illuminata, said: "I don't think Wyly will succeed, but going forward who's to say others don't? A lot of investment banks are desperate for revenues after the dot-com demise - Wyly has put CA into play."
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