Symantec’s board of directors has appointed Enrique T. Salem, Symantec’s chief operating officer, as president and chief executive officer, effective April 4, 2009. This move comes after the announcement that longtime Symantec CEO John W. Thompson will retire.
Symantec announces retirement of CEO John Thompson. (IMG:Flickr/dfarber)
“I am proud of our team’s accomplishments over the past 10 years as we’ve transformed the company from a consumer software publisher to the leader in Internet security, data protection and storage management,” said Thompson. “I’ve always believed planning for succession was a critical part of my role and, for the past two years, have been working with the board on a thoughtful succession plan. Through that process, Enrique emerged as the right person to lead the company and I am confident in his ability to continue to drive the success of our team.”
Once the transition is complete, Thompson will remain the chairman of the Symantec board of directors.
Thompson was at the helm in 2005 when Symantec took a beating in the press and the market when the company bought Veritas. Many said that the acquisition of the storage provider was too far off the map for a security company.However, since then he has led the company into some impressive growth.
Thompson joined Symantec in 1999, and lasted five years longer than he was expected, marking a decade at the company when he retires at the end of Symantec’s fiscal year. He is credited with growing Symantec from a $600 million company in 1999 to the $6 billion company it is today.
Salem has been an integral part of the Symantec leadership team and has worked closely with Thompson the past few years to set the company’s strategic direction. In January 2008, Salem was appointed chief operating officer responsible for the company’s day-to-day operations, global product development, sales and marketing.
“Enrique is a strong leader with extensive knowledge of our business and great relationships with our customers and employees,” said Robert S. Miller, lead independent director of Symantec’s board. “His breadth of experience throughout his career and the depth of his knowledge about Symantec uniquely qualify him to lead the company in its next stage of growth.”
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