With Republican Senator Judd Gregg withdrawing his name as the nominee for secretary of the Department of Commerce Thursday, all eyes may turn to Symantec CEO John Thompson as a potential replacement.
(Credit:
Symantec)
Prior to Gregg's appointment, Thompson's name was cited in various publications as a potential nominee, given his strong technology background and his role as CEO of the largest security software company that has a global presence.
The role of the commerce secretary touches on industry and security; technology; intellectual property with the Patent and Trademark Office; and international trade.
Thompson has also held several fundraisers in his Silicon Valley home for President Obama, when the former senator was campaigning throughout the country.
And after the election, Thompson announced in mid-November that he planned to retire in April as Symantec's CEO and that he would assume the role of the security company's non-executive chairman.
Symantec's John Thompson plans to retire from the CEO post in April.
(Credit: Symantec)Symantec Chief Executive John Thompson will retire in the spring, according to a press release from the company on Monday. Thompson, who ran the company for the past 10 years, will continue as a non-executive chairman of the board.
Enrique T. Salem, Symantec's current chief operating officer, will replace Thompson at the helm effective April 4 and will also join the board of directors.
In a press conference, Thompson said: "I always thought 10 years was about the right amount time for any CEO at any company."
Enrique T. Salem will become CEO of Symantec in April.
(Credit: Symantec)In January, Salem was named Symantec's chief operating officer. Thompson said he has been working with the Symantec board of directors on a succession plan for about the last two years. He said Salem's appointment was an integral step in the overall succession process.
No external candidates were considered.
Salem is no stranger to Symantec. From 1990 to 1999 he worked in the security business unit at the company before rejoining the company in 2004 with Symantec's acquisition of Brightmail, an antispam company. There, Salem had served as Brightmail's president and CEO. Prior to that, Salem spent a year at Oblix as senior vice president of products and technology, and two years as vice president of technology and operations at Ask Jeeves.
- prev
- 1
- next
