Comments on: Mark Hurd crunches the numbers

By: Jane Deere, Boston, Massachusetts

Jane Deere, Boston, Massachusetts — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 21:20:10 +0000

Mark Hurd is the force of greed in our world today. He has zero empathy for regular middle class people – I would say he is effectively autistic in this regard. The corporation is always a sociapath, but not necessarily the individuals in it – this is a phenomenon when large groups of people are led by small groups of super-rewarded ones – sociopathy generally results. Mark is just a product of his privileged background and many years of ceaselessly feeding his greed – sadly he is now beyond redemption. The corporations or avaricious super-fed can never control themselves – only democratically elected governments immune to lobbying can, through just and society protecting regulation. Speaking of governments we have been criminally let down by ours in the past decades; let's hope Obama gets backed by most of the 90%+ who are disenfranchised increasingly by thes hungary, pampered pigs, and that he actually gets to mitigate gross inequity in our great land once more. Shareholders my ass – since when should a rich minority destroy the lives of the decent majority to stuff their pockets even more? Get a grip guys, and vote for change.

http://www.damiansaunders.net/2009/02/26/commentary/hp-pay-cuts-an-unfair-act-of-economic-opportunism-and-greed/

By: Lisa, Houston

Lisa, Houston — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 07:40:20 +0000

I work for HP and I can say one thing ,they don't care about the hard workers who push out all that work and make the shareholders all that money. So get it right.

By: Magnus, Toronto, ON

Magnus, Toronto, ON — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:53:32 +0000

Have you ever seen the movie "Boys from Brazil", this guy is actually one of them.

It is very interesting that the shareholders and investors are still asleep and cannot figure out Carly's, Mark's and other "hunters" game. More than 50,000 people paid with their jobs for Carly's goodbye package. How many people will pay Mark's?

By: William, Atlanta

William, Atlanta — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 18:25:31 +0000

Perhaps Mark Hurd is too young to remember two words: Control Data. They, too, were losing market share and attempted to get into the service business. When that didn't work, they tried integration. When that didn't work, they tried going out of business (effectively).

Look, folks, I am a buinessman and I am sick and tired of people saying that CEOs have a responsibility to increase shareholder value. What bunk! A CEO's responisbility is to run his company as efficiently as possible and earn money for the shareholders. The best way to do this is to keep your company stable and executing at the top of its game. To do that you take good care of the people who actually run your business. When a good business opportunity presents itself, you take it. But, when that opportunity means that you have to fire 24,000 loyal employees just so you don't go belly up, you have not – by definition – found a good business opprotunity. You've found a high risk venture that will not, in all probability, pay off in the long term.

Business has become too little about practicing sound, ethical business and too much about maximizing return to greedy investors – who have nothing more invested than money. The people who actually generate business value have to pay the ultimate price for this and none of those people have ever darkened the doorway of the board room.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 17:05:20 +0000

I think Mark has made the right move into retrenching those useless bum.

By: Cpp,India

Cpp,India — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 03:17:10 +0000

I do not understand the math. It is simple. Start with your own salary cut and all the other useless perks that you are getting. I think that is the basic thing to do his job.

Normal people's anual salary is this guy's bill in a hotel stay. Bad. Very bad.

By: Dave, Houston, TX

Dave, Houston, TX — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:55:29 +0000

Hurd is running a global company and his job is to maximize shareholder value not employ as many people as possible.

These layoffs are a result of intergrating two enormous companies into a single functional organization. For example, before the merger we have two seperate accounts payable groups, two finance groups, two HR groups, etc. Two sales people (one HP one EDS) servicing the same area/region.

The layoffs (in most part) are a result of consoldation – not extreme measures to temporarily inflat the stock price.

And I am an HP employee who just might be one of the 24k, but I am realistic.

Try not to hate on a guy that is doing his job…and doing it pretty well too.

By: Al, Albuquerque, NM

Al, Albuquerque, NM — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:13:08 +0000

Isnt this one of the guys who drove Compaq into the ground ?

By: Lee, Albuquerque, NM

Lee, Albuquerque, NM — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:10:15 +0000

This guy is the Layoff King ! tear down what others have built up.. typical American management.

By: Randy, Pittsburgh Pa.

Randy, Pittsburgh Pa. — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:52:34 +0000

I think it is a shame that our government allows major corporations to merge, making a few “in charge” people very rich with buyout clauses and golden parachutes, while 24000 people lose their jobs, crushing their spirits and finding themselves without any healthcare. Not to mention with out a job or the career they may have dedicated their life too. The already unemployed and the newly unemployed, along with the many that are being enrolled into the poor house with major industry collapse is a un furling of our nations financial system. Maybe in an election year our candidates should be supply real plans on addressing corporate corruption, greed and mis-management instead of how cute a VP candidate is, or what race, religion, age, and sex they are. It would be nice to know that at some point our government would severely punish a corporation for making 24000 people unemployed and shipping thousands of jobs overseas, rather than allowing them to walk away with a windfall buyout, and a resume item for their next corporate victim.