In this post I mentioned and did comment that Carly Fiorina should not be considered for the position of the Prez of the WB. Indeed she had what she called “a successful career” at AT&T/Lucent but that was mainly in Sales and Marketing. Some of us know how the revenues brought by a good account and a good contract can benefit the head honcho and spiral his/her career in the world of backslapping industrial sales.
At HP, Fiorina tried to make HP all things to all people and was seen by many as a disruptive force, bent on turning two viable companies into an unwieldy monster. In addition, many within the company were threatened by the changes she made and were put off by her leadership style.
This is a good description of how she is perceived:
An over-developed ego. “During the Fiorina reign I saw a framed photograph of Herself in the lobby of an H-P facility, arms crossed, hair coiffed, poised to take on the world. A photo of the senior team might have sent a more inclusive message. Ego and immaturity tend to go hand-in-hand, and the symptoms can be the same. Investing in and becoming very attentive to lavish corporate offices and unseemly perks are signs of a oversized ego that will alienate colleagues and customers alike.”
and another one:
“Finally, avoid publicity. Not only is it a huge distraction to you personally, but it pretty much guarantees that you will be ineffective. Quickly, name Carly Fiorina’s successor at Hewlett Packard. Keeps a low profile doesn’t he? Look how the share price has done since he arrived. (By the way, he was also an outsider).”
Recently she has begun to work with organizations that seek to alleviate global poverty; I wonder whether the fact that she was rumoured to be a strong candidate also in 2005 may be one of the reasons. However, I will not be surprised if, as president, she demands 2 private jets just for her use together with a hairdresser and make-up artist whilst some poor children can’t even get some basic education.
If she is proposed by the Bush Administration, the Board would be wise to study the strengths and weaknesses she showed at HP. One thing is certain: she loves to be in the limelight- just have to peruse Fortune magazine from 1998 to 2005-before she was let go for falling short on day-to-day operational matters. I always question why she did not stick around at Lucent if she was really on the fast track after the IPO ; another female colleague of hers became the CEO before she merged Lucent with Alcatel.
I would rather see Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in that post