Top UK executive quits HP

Hewlett Packard lost one of its highest-ranked executives last week following the resignation of Nick Earle, president of its ebusiness strategy group.

Hewlett Packard (HP) lost one of its highest-ranked executives last week following the resignation of Nick Earle, president of its ebusiness strategy group.

Earle, one of the most senior UK executives in the IT industry after 18 years at HP, cited family reasons for his departure, and will return home to run the European operations for an unnamed HP partner. The company, which is not believed to be a reseller, is expected to make a formal announcement next month.

Rich Raimondi, chief operations officer at the e-services dotcom solutions group, has been named as Earle's temporary replacement.

David Bouffard, an HP Europe representative, admitted Earle had been fundamental to the company's reinvention as an ebusiness organisation, but claimed that plans will continue without him. He said the company will announce a reorganisation strategy in New York next month designed to improve services to customers.

Bouffard said that while Raimondi is only Earle's acting replacement, he has a good chance of being appointed to the post. "We have not set a formal date to announce a replacement for Nick, but Rich has to be a very strong candidate. He has been with us a long time," he said. Raimondi joined HP in 1979.

Rob Gwyther, marketing director at HP channel partner Kavanagh, had worked with Earle and was not surprised he had decided to return to the UK. "Nick has been in the US for many years now and for the sake of his family, I think he decided it was about time he came home," he said.

First published in Computer Reseller News