The Surprise Player Behind The Coup At HP

As Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ ) grapples with its transition following the Feb. 8 ouster of CEO Carleton S. Fiorina, much of the focus is on Patricia C. Dunn, the vice-chairwoman of Barclays Global Investors who replaced Fiorina as chairman of the HP board. But a key player in HP's ongoing saga lives in Boise, Idaho, far from HP's Silicon Valley home.

BusinessWeek has learned that Richard A. Hackborn, the board director who built HP's gold-mine printer business in the 1980s, carried out crucial behind-the-scenes roles in the months-long drama leading to Fiorina's sacking. Even more surprising, two insiders, one former and one current, say that Hackborn's doubts about Fiorina extend back to her early days at the company. "Almost from the time Carly was hired, Dick had his worries," says the former insider.