Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) announced that Patricia Dunn has agreed to step down as chairwoman in January due to a scandal involving possibly illegal tatics used in an investigation into media leaks.
CEO Mark Hurd will succeed her as chairman of the computer and printer maker while retaining his existing positions. Dunn will remain as director. In this MSNBC.com article Hurd is quoted as stating, “I am taking action to ensure that inappropriate investigative techniques will not be employed again. They have no place in HP."
Dunn previously stated she would not step down unless asked to by the company. Her anger over the media leaks led her to commission an outside, and as yet unnamed firm, to identify the source. Using personal information, they posed as persons in order to gain access to those person's phone records.
“Unfortunately, the investigation, which was conducted with third parties, included certain inappropriate techniques. These went beyond what we understood them to be, and I apologize that they were employed,” Dunn said in a statement.
Know More about questionable business tactics at ItsBadBusiness.com.
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