Dive Brief:

• Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced it promoted Antonio Neri to president effective immediately, according to an HPE blog. Neri previously served as executive vice president and general manager of HPE’s Enterprise Group.

• In his new role, Neri will oversee HPE’s efforts to streamline and optimize the company following the divestitures of the company’s enterprise services and software divisions.

• CEO Meg Whitman said Neri’s promotion highlights his work as the head of the enterprise group, which represents more than 80% of the go-forward company’s revenue, according to the announcement. 

Dive Insight:

The appointment of Neri signals that HPE’s transformation may be nearing completion. Last fall, HPE announced plans to spin-off and merge its non-core software assets with Micro Focus, moves focused on driving growth and profitability.

Whitman and others maintain that HPE is on the brink of a turnaround. Her slash and burn approach to streamlining the company has earned her a lot of criticism. Nevertheless, Whitman maintains the approach is the best course of action for the company.

Whether HPE will indeed emerge as a smaller, more agile powerhouse remains to be seen. Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s earnings dropped 13% compared to the same quarter last year, according to company earnings reports released earlier this month. HPE revenues have declined steadily for the last three quarters.