Veteran of the Carly Fiorina wars
Richard
Hackborn, the HP board of directors' independent director and a key player in
the ousting of Carly Fiorina has said he is quitting in March. Hackborn, was
a longtime HP employee, has iconic status at the company.
Hackborn was a key
proponent of a plan to shift operating authority from Fiorina to HP divisional
heads and he had a great influence at board meetings. While Hackborn
supported Fiorina's controversial bid to buy Compaq Computer in 2001, he got
frustrated as HP's performance faltered in late 2004.
Fiorina argued that the
company was performing well, but Hackborn insisted that HP had to be far more
aggressive about stemming market-share losses to IBM and Dell.
Hackborn
pushed for former Compaq and HP director Thomas J. Perkins to be reinstated to
the board in time for him to vote for Fiorina's ouster the next day.
Fiorina
removed Perkins because he was more critical and outspoken than other directors.
