ISLANDIA, N.Y.,
November 23, 2004 – Computer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE:
CA), the leading provider of enterprise management software, today
announced that John Swainson, a 26-year industry and IBM veteran, has
been named as President and CEO-elect and elected to CA's Board of
Directors, expanding it to 10 members.
The Company will hold a
webcast to discuss this announcement at 9:30 a.m. EST today. The
webcast can be accessed at
http://ca.com/invest.
“I am very pleased that
a person of John Swainson's stature has agreed to lead CA; he is an
excellent complement to our very strong CA management team,” CA
Chairman Lewis Ranieri said. “He knows what it takes to run a software
business and build brands, having spent the last nine years in the
senior management of IBM's Software Group. He has a passion for the
customer that is unsurpassed, and an understanding of how to execute
on a technology vision that drives revenue growth.”
Most recently,
Swainson was vice president for IBM's worldwide software sales force
where he was responsible for selling IBM's diverse line of software
products through multiple channels. Prior to that, he was general
manager of the Application Integration and Middleware division of
IBM's Software Group, a division he started in 1997. As head of IBM's
largest software group, he and his team developed and marketed the
highly successful WebSphere family of middleware products.
“John turned a
relatively unknown software solution, middleware, into a $1 billion
business. He possesses a unique set of skills, including development,
sales and marketing that combined make him a tremendous manager and
the right person to lead CA as it continues to move forward,” Ranieri
continued.
In making the
announcement, Ranieri said Kenneth Cron, who has led CA since being
named interim CEO in April 2004, will continue to lead the Company
during a four-to-six month transition period. Swainson joined CA on
Monday and will report to Cron during the transition. Jeff Clarke, who
joined CA in April 2004, will continue as the Company's chief
operating officer and chief financial officer and will continue to
report to Cron.
Ranieri said the
transition period ensures that CA will continue to build on the
momentum it has built over the past six months.
“Ken and Jeff have
done an outstanding job stabilizing CA during an unquestionably
tumultuous period and have put the Company back on track,” said
Ranieri. “They have defined a company vision, developed a strategic
growth plan and initiated a cost restructuring plan. Ken took on a
challenging role, and I have truly been impressed by his management
style and his ability to make employees, customers and investors
believe in the future of CA. I thank Ken for agreeing to stay on for
an additional four to six months to help ensure John's success.”
As president,
Swainson, 50, initially will have responsibility for charting CA's
software strategy and the corresponding development of the products to
fulfill the vision. Swainson's appointment as president, CEO-elect and
Board member was unanimously approved by CA's Board of Directors.
“I am excited to be
joining CA and becoming part of the Company's excellent management
team,” Swainson said. “I have observed CA as a competitor for many
years and have been impressed by the depth of its management software
portfolio and its position in the marketplace. I look forward to
helping the Company move forward and achieve its goal of being the
management software company CIOs turn to to get the most return out of
their IT systems.”
Swainson joined IBM
in 1978 and served in a variety of sales, marketing and product
development positions. He was a member of the IBM Worldwide Management
Council, IBM's Strategy Team, Senior Management Team and on the Board
of Governors for the IBM Academy of Technology. He holds a degree in
engineering from the University of British Columbia.
Besides being CA's
interim CEO, Cron, 48, also serves as a member of the Company's Board
of Directors. He will continue to serve on CA's board after he leaves
the CEO post. Prior to CA, he was Chief Executive Officer of Vivendi
Universal Games, a global leader in the publishing of online, PC and
console-based interactive entertainment and a division of Vivendi
Universal, S.A. Cron also served as Chief Operating Officer of Vivendi
Universal Entertainment.
Clarke, 43, has
responsibility for CA's direct and indirect sales, alliances and
partnerships, marketing, business development, and finance. He joined
the Company in March, 2004 as chief financial officer, a position he
retains, and was promoted to chief operating officer in April.
Clarke has 20 years
of strategic, operational and financial experience with leading
high-technology firms. He was senior vice president, finance and
administration, and chief financial officer at Compaq Computer
Corporation from 2001 until the completion of its merger with
Hewlett-Packard Company (HP) in 2002. Most recently, he was executive
vice president, global operations at HP, where he was responsible for
the largest global supply chain and procurement operations in the
technology industry.
