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Sun lures exec back from Red Hat

Karen Tegan-Padir is one of a handful of executives that has defected but been rehired by the software and server giant.

Sun Microsystems has rehired Karen Tegan-Padir, an executive it lost to Red Hat last year.

Tegan-Padir is now leading development of Sun's Java server software, the computing giant confirmed Tuesday.

She previously had been vice president of engineering for Sun's application server software. She left in 2004 to lead Red Hat's desktop software initiative. Now back at Sun, Tegan-Padir is working in the same domain as before, with the title vice president of engineering for the Enterprise Java Platforms Group, Sun said.

Though many executives have left Sun in recent years, the server and software company has persuaded some, like Tegan-Padir, to return. Sun also lured back Tom Goguen from Apple Computer to lead Solaris marketing and co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim to lead development of the new "Galaxy" line of x86 servers.

Red Hat said the parting was amicable but expressed no regrets. "The fast-paced, collaborative nature of open-source software is not for everyone," spokeswoman Leigh Day said.

Sun and Red Hat have had fractious relations--Sun's OpenSolaris competes with Red Hat Enterprise Linux--but the two companies are working to mend fences, Sun President Jonathan Schwartz has said.

Asked who would take over Tegan-Padir's post at Red Hat, Day said that the company's engineering department "has been reorganized to be focused on our top priorities" and that the company will make more announcements in that area.