By host Tom Ashbrook:
American high-tech giant Hewlett-Packard is famous for its Silicon Valley, garage-to-glory story of entrepreneurship and innovation. But the latest story out of the Hewlett-Packard boardroom is less glory and more high corporate soap opera – with what looks like a crime attached.
Someone on the 86-billion-dollar giant’s board of directors was leaking HP inside dope. Chairman Patricia Dunn ordered an investigation that ended up pirating private phone records of board members and journalists.
The world’s most powerful venture capitalist stormed off in fury. Now we’ve got charges of lying, spying, betrayal and threats of criminal investigation.
Hear about high boardroom drama, and American corporate governance as extreme sport.
Quotes from the Show:
“Dunn [HP's Chairwoman] will not resign until she takes a few more spankings … ” Peter Waldman
“Under federal law, it is illegal to obtain phone records under false pretenses.” Peter Waldman
“A lot of people in Silicon Valley are following the story.” Therese Poletti
“There’s a lot of people, and a lot of money playing here.” Therese Poletti
“The full [HP] board ordered the investigation and the Chairwoman executed it. … Off with their heads, … this form of scapegoating is not the answer.” Jeffrey Sonnenfeld
“The wrong thing they [HP board] did is that didn’t get a third-party law firm to do the investigation.” Jeffrey Sonnenfeld
“It shouldn’t be so easy for someone to call a provider and obtain someone’s phone records.” Marc Rotenberg
“This is unique because it involves a corporate boardroom.” Bill Lockyer
Guests:
Peter Waldman, reporter for the Wall Street Journal
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, president of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute at Yale University’s School of Management, where he is also a professor
Therese Poletti, reporter for the San Jose Mercury News
Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center.;
Bill Lockyer, California Attorney General. His office is investigating who ordered private detectives to obtain phone records of HP board members and journalists.
