Technology giant HP is demonstrating still another way to fire the CEO – by leaking your intentions to the media. The New York Times and other media outlets, citing anonymous sources “with knowledge of the board’s actions,” are reporting that the board is preparing to oust CEO Léo Apotheker, who has been in the post less than a year. No formal statement from an HP spokesperson has yet appeared.
By contrast, other recent CEO dismissals – Carol Bartz of Yahoo and Robert Kelly at Bank of New York Mellon – were not telegraphed in advance by leaks to the media. (See related posts here and here.) But that approach has been a hallmark of the HP board for years. Board-level leaks have led the way on every major upheaval at the company, from the firing of Carly Fiorina to the recent ouster of Mark Hurd.