Mark Hurd ousted from HP

On Tuesday, Yahoo ousted embattled CEO Carol Bartz, potentially paving the way for media-savvy executive Ross Levinsohn to step in and lead the struggling Internet company. To date, some members of Yahoo's board are "very much impressed" with Levinsohn, according to one source.

Hewlett-Packard is planning an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the forced resignation of CEO Mark Hurd last year and the compensation package he received. A shareholder lawsuit claims HP's directors wasted company money by awarding Hurd as much as $53 million in severance.

Wall Street has been quick to punish Hewlett-Packard after the computing and software giant named former SAP chief Leo Apotheker as its new CEO on Sept. 30. But if SAP's culture says anything about what HP will be like under Apotheker, it may get back to making bets on innovation.

In a somewhat surprising move, HP went outside its walls -- and all the way to Germany -- to find the chief executive to replace the ousted Mark Hurd. Apotheker had stepped down as CEO of German software giant SAP in 2010.

Late Tuesday, PC maker Hewlett-Packard forecast a healthy growth in earnings and sales for fiscal 2011, as the company expands into consulting and computer security services. But the company remained mum on who will fill its CEO slot.

Big Blue isn't bullish on Hewlett-Packard. IBM CEO Samuel J. Palmisano launched a verbal barrage Tuesday at its Silicon Valley rival, criticizing HP's expensive 3PAR purchase, its handling of the ouster of scandal-tarnished CEO Mark Hurd, and its overall strategy.

Mark Hurd will receive an annual salary of $950,000 and a bonus of as much as $10 million for fiscal 2011 in his new position as president of Oracle. It's a big drop from his HP compensation.

Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) is suing its former chief executive, Mark Hurd, after news that he will be taking the post of co-president at competitor Oracle (ORCL). HP alleges that Hurd could end up violating confidentiality agreements by accepting the position.

Consider: Larry Ellison is 66 and Hurd is 54, plus Hurd has plenty of experience running a tech company much larger than Oracle. So, it seems likely that the Hewlett-Packard castoff -- now an Oracle co-president -- is destined to take over once Ellison decides to move on.

Technology giant Oracle has hired as its new president Mark Hurd, the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard, who resigned amid a scandal. Hurd will replace Charles Phillips, who has resigned, Oracle said in a statement on Monday. Phillips was co-president alongside Safra Catz, who will...