Watson rekindles his Hewlett-Packard career

By RICHARD PAMATATAU

New Zealand's largest IT company, Hewlett-Packard, has appointed Keith Watson, a former international executive with the company, as its new managing director.

Watson has been working on a low-key basis in New Zealand since his return in 2000.

Many people had expected that Simon Tong, the acting managing director since Russell Hewitt left for Vodafone Australia, would be appointed.

Watson said Tong was remaining.

The new chief said he hoped to increase the company's revenue from services. It already had a 40 per cent share in servers as well as being dominant in PCs.

Watson offers the New Zealand company deep management skills and international experience. He was one of HP's key executives and in 1990 helped set up its Asia Pacific operations based in Hong Kong.

From 1996 to 1998 he was senior vice-president and general manager for the company's $23 billion commercial business.

At the time Watson helped generate significant sales with its server computers, the machines used in work group computing, as well as PCs.

He also helped build its e-business strategy.

Watson then defected to Silicon Graphics as executive vice-president for worldwide sales and marketing.

A lover of fine cars, Watson has just "treated himself" to a new Porsche Cayenne four-wheel-drive vehicle, trading in his Porsche 911 to buy it.