UPDATE: Outgoing Dell Executives To Cash In
09 Enero 2009 - 11:52AM
Noticias Dow Jones
By
SAN FRANCISCO (Dow Jones) -- At a time when economic uncertainty
and corporate performance have put executive pay under increased
public scrutiny, Dell Inc. on Friday found itself breaking out an
old-fashioned, eight-figure severance package for two of its
departing executives.
The bulk of the severance deals -- $10 million in cash -- will
be paid to Mike Cannon, who is leaving Dell after less than two
years as president of the company's global operations. Another Dell
executive, outgoing chief marketing officer Mark Jarvis, will
receive a departure package worth $1.25 million.
Dell (DELL) made the severance deals public in a filing with the
Securities and Exchange Commission. The payment-package details
come less than two weeks after Dell said Cannon and Jarvis would
leave the company, effective Jan. 31.
The payments, while likely negotiated before both men joined
Dell, are not likely to win any favor with Dell shareholders, who
have seen the stock's value plunge 55% since the start of 2008. On
Friday, Dell shares fell 27 cents, or 2.4%, to $11.01.
"I would bet that from a legal standpoint, this is something
Dell had to pay," said Shaw Wu, an analyst who covers Dell at
Kaufman Bros. "These were very senior executives, and they
typically have these deals negotiated into their employment
contracts."
According to the filing, Cannon will receive a $5 million payout
on or before Feb. 20, and two payments of $2.5 million each, due in
April and July. Cannon will also be kept on as a Dell consultant
and receive $1.25 million within 15 days of Jan. 31, 2010, and Dell
will continue to foot the bill for Cannon's home-security system
until Feb. 1, 2011.
Jarvis will receive $625,000, the equivalent of one year's pay,
plus another $625,000 in bonuses.
The payouts also come during a growing trend among corporate
executives to either eliminate bonuses or take pay cuts during the
current economic downturn.
On Wednesday, storage-technology company EMC Corp. (EMC) said
its CEO, Joe Tucci, and other senior officials, would take pay cuts
and that the company was suspending pay raises for the rest of this
year. EMC also said it would cut 2,400 jobs as part of its
restructuring plan.
At Dell, both Cannon and Jarvis, whose impending departures were
announced in late December, were recruited in 2007 by Chief
Executive Michael Dell after he retook control of the faltering PC
maker.
The appointment of Cannon was especially seen as one of Dell's
boldest steps to realign its business operations after losing
market share and falling behind Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) several years
ago. Cannon was a former CEO at both electronics contract
manufacturer Solectron and hard-disk drive maker Maxtor, prior to
that company being acquired by Seagate Technology (STX).
"It's disappointing," said Wu. "Even with Michael Dell returning
to the company, over the last couple of years, Dell hasn't
performed well."
Cannon will be succeeded by Jeff Clarke, now head of Dell's
business client product group. Clarke will also become vice
chairman of global operations.
Jarvis, who will also remain a consultant to Dell, will be
succeeded by Erin Nelson, formerly vice president of marketing,
Dell Europe, Middle East and Africa.
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