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HP taps former Microsoft exec Ray Ozzie for board

Ozzie joins two other directors as the company expands its board to a dozen members.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
Expertise Mobile, 5G, Big Tech, Social Media Credentials
  • SABEW Best in Business 2011 Award for Breaking News Coverage, Eddie Award in 2020 for 5G coverage, runner-up National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award for culture analysis.
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Roger Cheng
Ray Ozzie answers a question at the GeekWire Summit in Seattle Jay Greene/CNET

Ray Ozzie, Microsoft's former chief software architect, joined Hewlett-Packard's board on Monday.

Ozzie is one of three new directors to join HP, the PC maker said today. Former McDonald's executive and current Walgreen's Chairman James Skinner and former Liberty Media CEO Robert Bennett also have joined as directors, expanding the board to a dozen members.

HP's board continues to see upheaval after former Chairman Ray Lane stepped down due to his role in the company's ill-fated acquisition of software company Autonomy. Ralph Whitworth still serves as interim chairman, but the company is seeking a permanent replacement. More changes are expected.

"Over the coming months, the board will continue to search for additional world-class directors, as well as a permanent non-executive chairman," the company said in a statement today.

The board changes come as HP attempts to figure out its direction after a botched attempt to exit from the consumer business and focus solely on enterprise. The strategy shift, which was reversed quickly, led to the company scrapping its plans to enter the mobile business through its acquisition of Palm and the WebOS mobile platform.

Bennett will become a member of the audit and finance and investment committees. Ozzie will join the finance and investment and technology committees. Skinner will join the audit, HR and compensation, and nominating and governance committees.