HP CTO to leave PSG

Just days after ending months of speculation by declaring its personal systems group would remain in house, HP's chief technology officer Phil McKinney has decided to leave the company.

McKinney announced via his corporate blog he would be retiring on the 31st of December following a transition period to pursue a "non traditional" retirement involving a book launch, speaking opportunities and advisory roles.

"I’m not planning on spending my days playing golf or sitting around the house driving my wife crazy,” McKinney wrote. “I have far too much passion, energy and ideas to sit on the sidelines.”

McKinney served as the division’s CFO from 2002 and has also sat on the boards of several organisations including The Computer History Museum, The Tech Museum and Innovation Board for Roche Diagnostics.

He wrote of his excitement at being able to take on advisory and board opportunities without the difficulty of corporate restrictions and conflict of interest.

“At the same time I will be expanding my efforts on the blog, podcast, speaking and teaching Killer Innovation Workshops.”

Carlos Montalvo, vice president of HP's Innovation Program Office, has been named as the interim CTO for PSG.

Frank Triantafyllou of HP reseller Complete PC Solutions said he was pleased with HP's decision to keep its PC business and hoped that McKinney's departure would lead to an infusion of fresh blood.

“My clients wouldn’t care if a couple of execs stood down. All that matters is they are keeping the division,” he said. “New energy is good. If someone has been stuck somewhere for too long, they lose passion. It’s good to get fresh blood in there, it’s new passion for the company.”

The move comes two days after the company finalised an internal review and subsequently announced it would retain its leading PC division. The decision ended months of confusion created by former CEO Leo Apotheker, and saw Australian resellers breathe a sigh of relief.

McKinney’s resignation takes the recent PSG departure count to three, with chief strategy and technology officer Shane Robison to retire from PSG next week after an 11-year career, following former webOS vice president Richard Kerris' recent resignation take up a role at Nokia.