Mark Hurd, HP, Man Gene and Faux Ethics

A revered CEO is forced to resign as a result of a sexual harassment complaint filed by a marketing consultant/event planner who has starred in a number of steamy films and and has the pictures to prove it. (Here, here, here, and here.) The company employing the CEO and sexy consultant turns up nothing to support the sex harassment claim. But it does turn up CEO expense reports seemingly designed to cover up his relationship with the consultant. The CEO’s ethical lapse irreparably damages his integrity. Both the CEO and marketing consultant deny a sexual relationship.

That’s an abbreviated version of the Mark Hurd/Jodie Fisher/Hewlett Packard story that has dominated the business and tabloid worlds for several days. It’s hard to know what happened, but based on Fisher’s photos, if she and Hurd didn’t have a sexual relationship when spending a lot of time together and sharing several late night dinners, The Man Gene is a mere shell of its former self. 

But never mind. HP is enforcing its high ethical standards, even if it involves the demise of the CEO who heroically turned the company around. But wait, as HP is flaunting its ethics, it’s also paying  Hurd severance of $12 million in cash and $16 million in stock, not to mention extending the deadline for Hurd to exercise stock options on 775,000 shares of HP stock. HP big ethical stand apparently doesn’t have the evidence or backbone to walk the talk.

Fisher says she never intended for Hurd to be fired. Apparently, she only wanted money, which she squeezed out of Hurd before he was fired. Maybe Hurd deserved to be fired, but he also deserved an explanation not papered over by disingeneous ethical blather and millions in severance pay. Whether Hurd was forced to fall on his sword, thrown under the bus, or done in by The Man Gene, HP needs to get off its high horse and disclose what really happened.