“We are fortunate to have someone of Meg Whitman’s caliber and experience step up to lead HP,” said Ray Lane, now executive chairman of HP’s board, in a statement.
“We are at a critical moment, and we need renewed leadership to successfully implement our strategy and take advantage of the market opportunities ahead,” Lane noted. “Meg is a technology visionary with a proven track record of execution. 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.”
However, many business analysts have mixed feelings about Whitman’s appointment. Some have suggested that she may not have enough experience running a large technology company, pointing to her acquisition of Skype for eBay. In May, eBay sold the telephone company to Microsoft.
In 2002, Whitman donated $30 million to the University. She ran as the Republican candidate for governor of California in 2010.