Dell names new CFO

As it continues to work on a turnaround, Dell on Monday announced that it has named a former General Electric executive to serve as its new chief financial officer.

Brian Gladden, who had nearly 20 years of finance and management experience at GE, will join the computer maker Tuesday as a senior vice president, assuming the role of chief financial officer on June 13. Gladden is coming from Sabic Innovative Plastics, a GE Plastics spin-off where he has been serving as chief executive. Sabic is a unit of Saudi Basic Industries.

Prior to joining Sabic, Gladden held such posts as CFO of both GE Plastics and GE Medical Systems Healthcare IT.

"We look forward to welcoming Brian as an operationally focused CFO whose skills in running multibillion-dollar enterprises, and substantial experience with an industry leader, make him an ideal fit for the global economies in which we operate," Michael Dell, chief executive of Dell, said in a statement.

Gladden is replacing Donald Carty, who is stepping down after roughly 15 months on the job.

Carty, who will remain a Dell director, took over the CFO position in January 2007, as the computer maker tried to address a Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into its accounting practices.

Carty, who was on Dell's board at the time of his CFO appointment, had been serving on the board's audit committee, which initiated its own investigation into the company's accounting practices.

"Don has played a key role in re-establishing transparency and integrity in our financial practices, and we are extremely grateful to have had his leadership," Michael Dell, chief executive, said in a statement.

[benjaminstraight]

Mr. Gladden is wholly qualified. Good job Dell!