Meg Whitman appointed ceo of Hewlett Packard

Whitman has been appointed permanent ceo by HP's board of directors and not interim as many had suspected. Apotheker was ceo for less than 11months and during this time cut HP sales forecasts three times. HP's new executive chairman, Ray Lane, said it was a critical moment and that the company was in need of renewed leadership. "Meg is a technology visionary with a proven track record of execution," he said. "She is a strong communicator who is customer focused with deep leadership capabilities. Furthermore, as a member of HP's board of directors for the past eight months, Meg has a solid understanding of our products and markets." Whitman said her succession to ceo would not signal a change in HP's strategy, such as its plans to acquire UK software marker, Autonomy, for $10.3billion. In a statement, Whitman said: "I am honoured and excited to lead HP. I believe HP matters - it matters to Silicon Valley, California, the country and the world."