UPDATE, July 28: In a Tweet, Meg Whitman said she would not be leaving HPE as CEO for Uber.
(2/3) So let me make this as clear as I can. I am fully committed to HPE and plan to remain the company's CEO.
— Meg Whitman (@MegWhitman) July 28, 2017
Dive Brief:
- HPE CEO Meg Whitman may be under consideration to become Uber's new CEO, according to Bloomberg.
- Uber reportedly has a short list of less than six CEO candidates, according to Bloomberg sources who asked not to be identified. Uber's former chairman, Travis Kalanick, resigned last month after a shareholder revolt
- On Wednesday, Whitman announced she plans to step down as chairman of HP Inc.'s board. Chip Bergh, CEO of Levi Strauss, will replace her.
Dive Insight:
For the moment, Whitman remains at the helm of HP Enterprise. But stepping down from the board could indicate Whitman is looking to make changes. It could also indicate some frustration on the part of the board. In the 18 months since Hewlett Packard split into two companies, Whitman has taken a slash and burn approach to streamlining the company, which has earned her a lot of criticism, while the impending arrival of HPE as a smaller, more agile powerhouse has yet to materialize.
Last month, Hewlett Packard Enterprise's earnings dropped 13% compared to the same quarter last year, according to company earnings reports. HPE revenues have declined steadily for the last three quarters.
Whitman maintains that HPE is on the right track and on the brink of a turnaround. Her next move may indicate whether or not she’s succeeded in convincing the board and shareholders that that’s true.
