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HP's boardroom drama
May 8, 2007 -
Fiorina book: HP board was 'dysfunctional'
October 6, 2006 -
Former HP chairman booked
October 5, 2006 -
Calif. AG files felony charges in HP probe
October 4, 2006 -
An upbeat Fiorina stays mum on Dunn
September 16, 2006
In separate interviews on the CBS television news program "60 Minutes," both Dunn and Fiorina say while each was still working for HP, former board directors Tom Perkins and George Keyworth plotted against them.
"Clearly they were aligned in how they thought I should reorganize the business," Fiorina, who was ousted as HP's CEO in 2005, told reporter Lesley Stahl. "But these were people that, for all their gifts and all their accomplishments, didn't understand what running an $85 billion company is all about."
HP's boardroom drama
controversial attempts to
root out media leaks.
Stahl said during the program that both women appearing on the same show was a "quirk." Fiorina's memoir, titled "Tough Choices," just happened to be hitting store shelves at the exact time when Dunn was being charged for allegedly masterminding a spying campaign on journalists, HP board members and employees.
Both women were highly critical of the former HP board members at a time when the company is reeling from the spying scandal, which has led to criminal charges against Dunn and HP executives. Dunn resigned from HP's board on Sept. 22.
Perkins could not be reached for comment.
Dunn was the catalyst of HP's investigation into the source of news leaks at the company, said California Attorney General Bill Lockyer, who last week charged Dunn and four others with four felonies, including identity theft.
During the leak hunt, HP has acknowledged that the company obtained private telephone records belonging to journalists, HP employees and board directors.
If convicted, Dunn and the others charged could face 12-year jail sentences.
Despite scores of documents that show Dunn was intimately involved in the operation, she doesn't accept personal responsibility for criminal wrongdoing and claimed during the TV interview that she is the victim of a "disinformation campaign" directed against her by Perkins.
Perkins, one of the founders of Silicon Valley's most prominent venture capital firm, Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers, was the man who forced HP to go public with the truth about the company's leak hunt and the methods used.
Dunn said that Perkins has a vendetta against her for disclosing to the board the source of the leak: Keyworth, a friend of Perkins.
Keyworth acknowledged being the leak after being confronted with telephone records that showed he contacted CNET News.com reporter Dawn Kawamoto shortly before she published a story about an HP board meeting in January. Keyworth resigned from the board in September.
Perkins was outraged over Dunn's disclosure about Keyworth to the full board and resigned in May. Since then, Perkins has had it in for Dunn, she told "60 Minutes."
Perkins "wanted me off the board," Dunn said during the interview. "I don't know if he ever thought through the consequences that would go into getting me off the board."
Asked whether she believed Perkins was responsible for her legal troubles, Dunn said: "I don't think I would be standing here today if Tom had handled this different."
In a statement Monday, Keyworth's lawyer said that the former board member "continues to cooperate with governmental investigators looking into matters associated with the illegal spying campaigns initiated in 2005 and 2006."
In her new book, Fiorina supports Dunn's claim that Keyworth and Perkins were highly critical of Dunn.
"He had been derisive of Pattie Dunn's capabilities ever since I had known him," Fiorina writes of Keyworth.
Fiorina said that she suspected Perkins and Dunn of playing a big part in the board's decision to oust her. Fiorina said that the company flourished under her leadership and that she believes that she was fired for "personal" reasons. She lamented the way HP handled her firing--without thanking her--and suggested that HP's male-dominated culture was partly to blame.
"I think somehow men understand men's needs for respect differently then they understand it for a woman," Fiorina said. "I'm disappointed to have to say that, but I think it's undeniably true."
See more CNET content tagged:
Patricia Dunn,
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Did Fiorina really think everyone was going to agree with her absurd ideas?
And Fiorina was the one who ran Lucent into the ground. She left just as things there were turning bad. How she gets another CEO job is unfathomable...
The show this past evening reminded me of the same attitude which I read about & saw on film during the Nuremburg trials. The only difference is that these women & others like them are rewarded for their lack of moral/ethical bearings. It is very shameful that American business has come to this.
I only hope I live long enough to see these corporate jagovs spend thier final days in jail or flaming at the stake for what they have done to the American people.
children (board, officers, & top employees) who play at being adults
and try and run a business in the real corporate world. Who is there
at H-P to decide where to find adults?
not techincally be a crime, but morally that's a felony if they kept
doing it. Keyworth kept doing it. Perkins has ackowledged being
a second source -- his friend Keyworth being the first source --
at least once.
What Dunn did may technically have been a crime, but she had
to protect the interests of thousands of shareholders -- you and
me -- from Keyworth and Perkins. In my mind, morally
speaking, she is at best guilty of a misdemeanor.
BTW, Perkins was not on the Board at the time of Carly's ouster. He re-joined just as it was happening. Let's tell the truth here.
Fiorina needs to sell her book and Dunn does not want to go down alone. They have good reasons than anyone to muddle the discussion. I have seen Dunn defending herself infront of Congress Committee. She is always willing to take credit for anything that is postive but as per her claim that she does not know the details of how the investigation has been carried out, would look to naive for a Chairman of Board of Directors for a Corporate like HP.
There are still "old Boy" companies, and I am sick of them. But you either play or pay. Look how third HP woman plead 5th. I think the entire HP corporation stinks. No more stock ownership for me.
It's like Martha Stewart: Rather than saying "Hey, I made a mistake, panicked and sold some stock based on insider info. Slap my hands.", instead she lies and get's caught at it.
What a contemptible megalomaniac. Can there be any doubt that she's precisely the type of person to think she's entitled to commit any felony she wants? Dunn really needs to learn that now is the time to shut up.
Sadly, all this was outlined in a book written by Dr Laurence J Peters, back in 1968!
As for paying the flame game, blame the old boys for their own errors, they will lose every time when truth outs!
Only a moron or an adherent of the "peter principle", will blame others for their basic poor judgement and routine mistakes, from their inferences and dysfunctionality ,one could question even their ability to handle the simple task of using an oven in the kitchen?
Well Carly.... Welcome to the club!!! That's exactly how the 15,000 + former HP Employees were fired too. How'd that make you feel? Crummy huh? Except no one should feel sorry for you since you got just a bit more severance than we did; 1 month salary for every year of service versus the millions of dollars and benefits. Don't blame the board for your ills. They were doing their job by questioning and challenging you. You should've been held to the same performance evaluation methods as everyone else. HP stock dropped like a rock under your leadership. Don't blame it on the economy and a tech industry downturn. You think a mortal HP employee can use that same excuse??? I guess they were tired of being your "yes men".
So we have a culture of indecision being led by some of the most amoral leaders imaginable. Sounds like the Beltway doesn't it?
Fiorina's not doing her reputation any favors getting herself lumped in with Dunn.
Memo to Carly: when you're CEO and the company is underperforming you should expect the board to give you a hard time.
- What about Keyworth & Perkins
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by Claytonroad
October 10, 2006 9:28 PM PDT
- Lots of fun attacking these two women but what ab out the character of Keyworth and his protector and henchman Perkins? Leaking secret information from board meetings and the other guy lying to protect him until he was caught then trying to make it look innocent. I think these two guys were definitely out to wipe out these ladies. Rich, powerful, conceited,egomaniacs. Who could ever trust either again?? Give those ladies a break!!
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- What about Keyworth & Perkins?
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by VI Joker
October 11, 2006 7:25 AM PDT
- I would agree that Carly was not given a fair shake for the work that she did, but what Patti did was illegal. There is no way to slice or dice it. Granted our government fostered her behavior with there own actions, but its no less illegeal. Keyworth and & Perkins could be guiltly of poor ethics, but depends on how you look at it. Even if you said they have poor ethics, poor ethics is not a crime.
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