Comments on: HP after Fiorina: Analysis, videos, commentary

special coverage Carly Fiorina departs, opening the door for a new CEO to guide the company as it confronts stubborn market truths.

[dockev]

Who can save this thing?

Kind of reminds you of IBM about 10 years ago. Even though there is probably a lot of positives still left at HP, it will take a very dedicated person like a Lou Gerstner to restore the shine on this tarnished brand.

[glennharm]

Hasta Lavista!

Imagine that you are called into your manager's office and the conversation went like this:

Manager: <insert your name here>, I'm afraid that we've been looking at your performance here at <insert your company here> over the last 6 years and you're just not pulling your weight relative to our expectations and what we're paying you.

You: Really? I'm sorry to hear that you feel that way.

Manager: Yes, we're sorry too, but we think we're going to have to let you go.

You: Well, I think that a fair parting gift would be 10 times my 2003 salary.

Manager: Hmm, we were thinking more like a number of 6 times your 2003 salary.

You: Okay, somehow I'll get by on that.

Sounds unbelievable, right? Yet this routinely happens with CEOs of large companies, and the above example is probably fairly close to what just happened with Carly at HP.

So, Carly merges two companies, lays off over 17,000 employees, shows now value, and gets booted with a reported severance of $21.1 million (her 2003 compensation was valued at $3.5 million).

...and somehow this is not a crime.

[sunnymix]

brand tarnished?

it is a known and recognized fact that HP branding has been one of the most successful jobs she has done in HP. not a lot of people even knew what HP was about before fiorina came on board. for that kind of publicity, shouldn't she been credited?