H-P chief seeks Starbucks-like success
Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman is drawing inspiration from Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz as she steps up a turnaround effort at the world’s biggest computer maker.
Whitman, CEO since September, said in an interview Tuesday that getting Hewlett-Packard back on track could take as long as half a decade. She compared her task with the one facing Schultz in 2008 when he resumed his role as CEO of Starbucks, the largest coffee-shop operator, and A.G. Lafley, who ran Procter & Gamble for almost a decade.
Reviving Hewlett-Packard, buffeted by accelerating competition in mobile devices and cloud computing, will be as challenging as rejuvenating some of the world’s most recognized consumer brands, Whitman said.
