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Did anyone see Dunn on 60 Minutes?

Original post made by HP shareholder, Old Palo Alto, on Oct 9, 2006

I thought Pattie Dunn shed some interesting light on the internal politics of the HP board room. If you believe her, it sounds like she has been hung out to dry by Mark Hurd and the rest of the board, in spite of all of the misbehavior by board members and management.
I think there will be lots more to read about this story!

Comments (12)

Posted by B&D_HP_Way
a resident of Mountain View
on Oct 9, 2006 at 1:10 pm

As a former employee of HP during the 'Glory Days' of HP, when Bill and Dave were still in control, it saddens me to see a once great company reduced to this level. Whatever happened to the "HP-WAY" ?,
where integrity and respect for the employee came FIRST !!!.
It's very sad to see HP join the ranks of most of the other companies in the valley, where CEO and VP greed and one dimensional thinking (ie the 'Bottom Line Rules '...) is the over-riding motivation.


Posted by A wise man from Menlo Park
a resident of Menlo Park
on Oct 9, 2006 at 3:28 pm

I listened to the "60 Minutes" interviews of both Pattie Dunn and Carly Fiorina. The other sides were not heard from, but I would say that the male directors behind their ouster should be called upon to explain in an open forum exactly what these women did to justify the treatment they were subjected to.


Posted by HP Way-er
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Oct 9, 2006 at 5:55 pm

Carly has always been one to tell a good story. It's laughable that she now calls HP "ruthless" in its way of firing her... she is the one that brought "ruthless" to the company!! I know because I was there.


Posted by J.L.
a resident of Ventura
on Oct 9, 2006 at 7:02 pm

Notice how this whole thing continues to spin away from Hurd. Also, it's laughable that Fiorina trys to take credit for the cultural mess she left behind.

Yes, HP was losing its way; no, it's didn't need to have its corporate culture - a culture that was intact and looking for solid leadership - torn asunder by a simple minded corporate play that had HP gobbling up a competitor that was itself in trouble.

Firoiina, like a lot of present-day CEO's, was WAY overvalued. She did little but make hay for herself, even landing a fat golden parachute benefit when she was fired.

That she complains and lays sour grapes on the table now clearly indicated that she was after one thing - power. Not exactly the sort of person that resonates with the inclusive, everyone-shares-the-pain culture that HP had nourished, and that just needed a little stratgic and tactical tweaking.

If Fiorina want to talk about past performance, perhaps she might remind all who are silly enough to listen to her current whining that Lucent, her prior corporate gig, crashed and burned just months after her departure.

Fiorina was a lightweight, with a magnetic presence. That's all. She was clearly not a leader; there are too few of those in the corporate world these days, and Mark Hurd isn't one of them either.

If the board doesn't remove Mr. Hurd, something IS very wrong at HP.


Posted by J.L.
a resident of Ventura
on Oct 9, 2006 at 7:04 pm

btw, Dunn, no matter how she spins it, is culpable. She got paid the big bucks to keep things like this from happening, and so does Hurd - which is why he needs to go.


Posted by Angela Hey
a resident of Portola Valley
on Oct 9, 2006 at 10:53 pm

So who prosecutes people who violate NDAs? Seems these agreements are rarely enforced unless someone is hired by a competitor.

Isn't anyone going to prosecute George Keyworth for leaking secrets?


Posted by J.L.
a resident of Ventura
on Oct 10, 2006 at 12:07 am

Large corporate boards are usually populated by those who have obtained prominence. Being found out as an "unapproved" leaker is its own punishment in those circles.

That said, Keyworth didn't really leak anything of substance. It's well known that he has been used as an "official" leaker by hp PR.
Web Link

Dunn and her folks went to far, and Hurd was asleep at the wheel - waking only for a wink and a nod. He's paid the big bucks to NOT let something like this happen, and to make sure the company runs seamlessly. He didn't.


Posted by sarlat
a resident of Crescent Park
on Oct 10, 2006 at 7:46 am

corporate big shots like dunn and fiorina have the level of credibility that president bush and his cronies have:zero.i wouldn't believe even one word coming out of their mouths. bth ladies are corporate honchos supremely skilled in the art of greed, deception and the endless lust for power.


Posted by Mary Gould
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Oct 10, 2006 at 9:00 am

Has anyone noticed the parallels in ways of thinking between the church sex scandals, HP, and the Foley affair? "We did nothing illegal" "I told him he had to stop doing it and he said he would" "our overall objective is more important than small issues" "the higher-ups knew and didn't do anything, so I am absolved of any responsibility....... ! Is it time for a general housecleaning?


Posted by Mary Gould
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Oct 10, 2006 at 9:01 am

Has anyone noticed the parallels in ways of thinking between the church sex scandals, HP, and the Foley affair? "We did nothing illegal" "I told him he had to stop doing it and he said he would" "our overall objective is more important than small issues" "the higher-ups knew and didn't do anything, so I am absolved of any responsibility....... ! Is it time for a general housecleaning? What happened to personal responsibility? Is thie The American Way?


Posted by Feminist
a resident of another community
on Oct 11, 2006 at 10:26 pm

What is up with the women always taking the heat? Classic (and probably over quoted) case: Martha Stewart versus the ENRON debacle. That time line and damage comparisons are deplorable.

And today when a study released says that on average women’s IQ scores are 4 points less than men’s. They have got to be kidding. I am just wondering, does compassion get counted among those scores? Integrity? Common Sense? Or is it solely based on cunning?

And yes, I do see the correlation between Foley, Hastert and this HP mess.


Posted by J.L.
a resident of Ventura
on Oct 11, 2006 at 11:27 pm

Sadly, Dunn is going back into treatment for ovarian cancer. I wish her well. A cynical person would say that this will help her overall cause, but I don't think it will. She was part ofo a large breach of boardroom demeanor, and trust.

What galls me is that Hurd has remained untouched, and seems to have spun his way out of this. that is sad for HP's reputation, long term, and sad for HP's employeees - they deserve better. Not to mention HP's good name getting dragged through the mud.

It's no wonder we have power running amok, all over the place, in America. Millions of people see things like this happen, with no, or very light penalties. Why worry of nothing is going to happen, or oa small slap on the wrist is forthcoming.

Sad.


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