Furniss? exit prompts HP reshuffle

Hewlett Packard veteran Alan Furniss has left the company to start his own business, prompting a reorganisation of the company?s senior European management.

Forty-four-year-old Furniss rose through the ranks at HP over a period of 21 years, eventually becoming general manager for HP Northern Europe in the company?s printer and peripherals business, now called the commercial channels organisation. John Yelland, PC and peripherals marketing manager at HP UK, confirmed Furniss had left the vendor to start his own company.

?It is true he has left, and we may well take this opportunity to regroup as a company.?

Furniss and UK country manager Ian Miles reported directly to HP general manager of Europe and EMEA Bernd Bischoff, under a structure that placed senior country managers on the same level as territorial managers that cover many smaller countries.

Furniss was responsible for 57 countries in total, including many smaller European countries, the Nordic territories, the Middle East and the African sub-continent. Yelland said: ?His exact words were that he has had 21 marvellous years here. Now he wants something for himself: his own business.?

One source said Furniss had a place on the HP board and will be missed. ?He will be difficult to replace,? she said.

?There were a lot of people in the management queue ahead of him, so perhaps the time was right.?

Furniss himself refused to give details of his new venture, but told PC Dealer: ?I?m really keen to try something new and I?m in a lot of discussions with a lot of people. But you won?t find me popping up in a large company.?