HP board reportedly looking to get rid of Apotheker

HP's board of directors is considering the removal of Léo Apotheker as chief executive, according to multiple reports citing company sources.

The board is said to have met on Wednesday to discuss forcing Apotheker out. Former eBay chief executive Meg Whitman is among those being considered as a replacement.

Apotheker took over at HP in 2010 following the sudden departure of Mark Hurd. His one-year reign has included a public feud with Oracle and a controversial plan to rid HP of its PC and webOS hardware businesses.

The move was noted at the time as playing to the strengths of Apotheker and HP in the software and services market, but analysts have suggested that HP's directors and investors are unhappy with the decision.

"Investors have been frustrated by HP's lack of execution. I am not surprised at the rumours," IDC analyst Crawford Del Prete told V3. "Léo is leading a transition for the company that is going to be difficult to execute in the best of times."

Whitman joined HP's board earlier this year, and was most recently in the public eye for her run at the governorship of California.

HP has a history of high-profile leaks and public feuds among its board members and executives. Prior to Hurd's departure, Patricia Dunn and Carly Fiorina were forced out amid boardroom in-fighting.

Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, suggested that there is a rebellion going on at HP probably led by someone who was passed over when Apotheker was appointed.

"They are using this leak to force a decision that is likely being raised by some of the new board members given HP's recent slide, which is also tied to leaks surrounding its PC division," he told V3.

"It shows what has become an endemic problem in HP in terms of loyalty, often caused by too many external hires at top levels, and in terms of confidentiality that has plagued the company since Carly Fiorina."