HP board cooked Hurd's goose before settlement

Sources say...

The drip, drip of spin from HP continues with sources telling the media that HP's board of directors had decided to ditch chief exec Mark Hurd before he reached a private agreement with Jodie Fisher over sexual harassment allegations.

These latest claims are in opposition to claims earlier this week that the board felt snubbed by Hurd and Fisher's settlement, which effectively stymied the board's own investigation.

Now friends of Hurd are telling the papers that the board had made its mind up by the end of July, before any agreement was reached with Jodie Fisher on 4 August. The initial findings of the board investigation found that Hurd had breached HP's code of conduct.

That weekend the board met and decided to go public with the harassment claim, which Hurd remained opposed to doing.

By the next Tuesday discussion was centred on Hurd's exit package and it was only on the Wednesday that Hurd and Fisher reached agreement, the FT reports.

So the board had no need to question Fisher because Hurd was already on his way out the door.

We doubt this will be the last we hear from either side.

Elsewhere Hurd is reported to be in a period of mourning for his lost job and considering offers from private equity and other tech companies. He wants to find a post which he will feel passionately about...

Fisher is claiming her supply of work with HP dried up after she turned down Hurd's advances. Hurd, via anonymous friends, denied this and said there was less work due to the global downturn. ®