HP sets post-merger lineup for Asia
The company says it is "on track" with the launch phase of the merger as it announces the key executives that would lead a combined HP-Compaq in the Asia-Pacific region.
Compaq Vice President Tan Choon Seng will run the post-merger team in Southeast Asia. His HP counterpart, Chia Wee Boon, will move from his managing director position to lead the company's customer support division for HP Services in the Asia-Pacific region.
In Singapore, HP's Dumas Chin, who is the general manager for HP Singapore Business Customer Sales Organization, has been appointed country general manager for the merged entity.
"These appointments demonstrate the progress of our merger integration planning process, and is further proof that we are on track with the launch phase of the merger plan," HP Asia-Pacific spokeswoman Cecilia Pang told CNETAsia.
Compaq Managing Director Eric Goh will take on a regional role to head the new company's industry vertical and corporate accounts within the Asia-Pacific Enterprise Systems Group.
In Malaysia, Compaq Managing Director T.F. Chong will head the new organization, and Badlisham Ghazali, HP Malaysia managing director, will oversee the company's services business in the country.
HP is awaiting a ruling from a Delaware Chancery Court judge on former director Walter Hewlett's lawsuit seeking to stop the deal. Assuming a favorable ruling and no impact from a recount of shareholder votes, which is also taking place in Delaware, HP has said it hopes to close the deal May 7.
Separately, HP is facing a class-action shareholder lawsuit, filed Friday in Delaware Chancery Court, that raises many of the same issues brought in Hewlett's suit.
Overnight, HP announced about 1,000 employees appointed to post-merger positions within the company. These include heads of individual countries, sales channels and those responsible for a particular function, such as marketing, within the already announced four business units. An HP representative told CNET News.com that the list does not include managers of individual product lines.
As earlier reported, Paul Chan, Compaq's Asia-Pacific head, will take the helm at the new HP assuming the $25 billion deal is approved.
CNETAsia's Fran Foo reported from Singapore. CNET News.com's Ian Fried contributed to this report.