Exclusive: Mark Hurd on the HP Scandal

Until news began breaking early this month that Hewlett Packard (HPQ) had spied on its board members and others to find the source of boardroom leaks, Mark Hurd's tenure at HP has been as close to a corporate fairy tale as one is likely to find. In February, 2005, the relatively unknown former chief executive officer of NCR (NCR) replaced the controversial Carleton S. "Carly" Fiorina—inheriting problems ranging from a credibility gap on Wall Street to lousy morale in its Palo Alto headquarters.

These days, the theme of Hurd’s tenure is a lot less fairy-tale with reports that HP (HPQ) used possibly illegal means to expose leakers. The matter has resulted in the departure of Chairman Patricia Dunn, who unleashed the probe, and Director George Keyworth, identified as the source of a leak. Another director, Tom Perkins, resigned in dismay over how HP handled the investigation.