Dorman takes over PointCast

Back in June, Christopher Hassett, chief executive and cofounder of PointCast, said he would wear the chairman's hat, but would step aside to make way for a new CEO.

After months of searching, PointCast on Friday named David Dorman president and chief executive of the pioneering push technology company. But even before his successor was named, Hassett already had begun to take on a less visible role.

Hassett has been in and out of the company's headquarters every month, or every other month, said a spokeswoman, noting that he no longer maintains an office at PointCast.

In his role as chairman, Hassett has been serving as an adviser to the company and has been busy meeting with partners and investors, said Kevin Harvey, a PointCast board member and partner at Benchmark Capital, which is an investor in the push-technology company.

"He has given no indications he plans to leave," Harvey said, noting he does not know if Hassett will split his time between PointCast and another venture.

"Chris has started two successful companies, and I won't be surprised if he started another one," Harvey said. "But you'll have to ask him."

Hassett, who was in New York and could not be reached for comment, founded BluePoint Technologies, a chip developer that he later sold to Adobe Systems. Hassett later formed PED Software, a provider of personalized newspaper software for online companies, which eventually became PointCast.

Like at PointCast headquarters, the presence of PointCast's founder was absent from the press release announcing Dorman's appointment. But other industry figures, such as Eric Benhamou, chairman, president, and CEO of 3Com, were quoted in the release.

"Today was to focus on David and Kevin [Harvey], who lead the executive search," said a spokeswoman. "Chris also wished to let David have his day, and we liked having other major CEOs express their support for David."