To whom much is given much is expected. This Biblical phrase comes to mind when thinking about the sudden departure last week of Mark Hurd as CEO of HP. According to widely published reports about his departure it came about NOT because of a sexual harassment suit, which has been settled by Hurd, but because of improperly filled out expense reports.

OK. Fudging financial reports can be a serious corporate offense, even a criminal offense. But HP states the dollar amount was somewhere in the $20,000 range. With money like that Hurd could have gone out and almost bought a Mini Cooper.

 

Hurd has called the experience "surreal." He built HP in five short years into the largest technology company in the world, surpassing IBM, which had been number one since IT was invented. His compensation is in the tens of millions of dollars, and his severance is estimated to be around $35 million.

 

Getting forced out for improperly reporting $20,000 is not only surreal but it is damaging to HP's stock valuation, which has been battered since Hurd resigned.

 

Hurd brought a steady hand to HP after years of turmoil with it's last two CEOs -- Carly Fiorina, who was forced to resign in 2005 after leading HP through a merger with Compaq and years of constant upheaval, and Patricia Dunn, who was forced to resign in 2006 after using improper methods to investigate board leaks.

 

But even though $20,000 is a small amount to Hurd and HP, the truth is the dollar figure is not the issue. Trust was broken between Hurd and the board, and the HP board has proven to be tough on its CEOs. Something Hurd was aware of when he accepted the job.

 

Even more importantly, during Hurd's tenure he carried out a board mandate to restore the company's reputation for corporate governance. As a result many HP employees were dismissed for violating company policies that would have been dealt with more leniently prior to Hurd's arrival.

 

So, the big question now for HP is who will be the next CEO? The Wall Street Journal reports HP is looking to external candidates, but I know of an excellent internal candidate the HP board would be smart to consider -- Randy Mott, HP's EVP and CIO. Mott is a superstar in the IT world, having done groundbreaking work at Walmart and Dell prior to joining HP. Over the last few year's Mott has undertaken a massive transformation of HP's IT infrastructure, reducing data centers, legacy applications and IT staffers devoted to keeping the lights running, a philosophy he is synonymous with.

 

But would Mott really want to change his current position for the top job at HP? It all depends on when he is planning to retire. If it's just a few years from now then it could be a perfect solution for what has become a short-term job.