All change at CA and ST-Ericsson

Swainson has been instrumental in CA's recovery from an accounting scandal

CA and ST-Ericsson have both announced that their influential chief executives are to step down in the coming months.

CA chief John Swainson will retire from the company at the end of the year, or as soon as a successor can be found by a special committee of directors appointed to search for a replacement.

Swainson joined CA in 2004 and helped to steady the firm after it was rocked by a major accounting scandal in 2006 involving former chief executive Sanjay Kumar. William McCracken has been named as interim executive chairman at CA to assist in the transition.

"Five years ago, I joined CA with the goal of helping CA become a trusted, valued and strategic partner, not only to our customers, shareholders and employees, but in the communities where we live and work around the world," said Swainson.

"I am very proud that the CA team has largely accomplished the goal we set five years ago."

ST-Ericsson, meanwhile, has announced that Gilles Delfassy will be its new president and chief executive, replacing Alain Dutheil, who led the company from its inception as a joint venture between STMicroelectronics and Ericsson.

Delfassy will assume his position from 2 November, when Dutheil will return to his previous role as STMicroelectronics' chief operating officer.

"In less than one year, ST-Ericsson has become a leading force in our industry, with strong innovation capabilities, outstanding customer relationships, the ability to offer a unique portfolio, and with what I am proud to define as the best team of professionals," said Dutheil.

"Together, we have already come a long way in reshaping and integrating the company."