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Computer industry

The Ousted: A Reality Show of Tech CEOs

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Six former tech CEOs, including Carly Fiorina and John Akers, were tossed out by their boards and are vying for the title of biggest failure. A group of business school professors has weighed in on their performance, and the opinions are varied. While Fiorina has been widely criticized for her disastrous tenure at Hewlett-Packard, some professors believe she had conviction in her strategy. Meanwhile, Akers, who was IBM's CEO from 1985 to 1993, was criticized for failing to adapt to the changing computing landscape. The professors' ratings vary, but one thing is clear: these CEOs left a lasting impact on their companies.

Key Takeaways:

  • Carly Fiorina was rated as one of the worst CEOs of all time by professors, with one labeling her "the worst because of her ruthless attack on the essence of this great company."
  • John Akers, former IBM CEO, failed to adapt to the changing computing landscape, leading to a $8 billion loss before being fired by the board.
  • Robert Allen, AT&T CEO from 1988 to 1997, was criticized for forcing a disastrous merger with NCR and not seeing the impending convergence of computers and communication.
  • Chris Galvin, Motorola CEO from 1997 to 2003, was seen as a victim of the tech meltdown and was not heavily criticized by the professors.
  • Joe Nacchio, Qwest CEO from 1997 to 2002, was harshly criticized for resorting to financial shenanigans to overcome difficulties.
  • John Sculley, Apple CEO from 1983 to 1993, was criticized for pushing out Steve Jobs and failing to innovate at the company.
  • The professors' ratings varied, but Fiorina and Nacchio were generally seen as among the worst of the group.

Statistics:

  • IBM lost $8 billion year under John Akers' leadership before he was fired by the board. (Source: University of North Carolina's Jeff Cannon)
  • AT&T merged with NCR during Robert Allen's tenure, but the deal was ultimately spun off again. (Source: AT&T)
  • Motorola, under Chris Galvin's leadership, weathered the tech meltdown but was not severely criticized by the professors. (Source: Carnegie Mellon University's Robert Kelley)
  • Qwest's accounting scandal occurred during Joe Nacchio's tenure as CEO from 1997 to 2002. (Source: Yale University's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld)
  • Carly Fiorina earned almost $100 million in total payments for her six-year tenure at Hewlett-Packard, despite her negative impact on the company. (Source: USA Today)
  • IBM's sales were $8 billion before Lou Gerstner took over as CEO. (Source: USA Today)

Sources:

  • USA Today: "The Ousted: A Reality Show of Tech CEOs"
  • University of North Carolina's Jeff Cannon
  • AT&T
  • Carnegie Mellon University's Robert Kelley
  • Yale University's Jeffrey Sonnenfeld
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology's S.P. Kothari
  • USA Today: "The Ousted: A Reality Show of Tech CEOs"

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