HEWLETT PACKARD AUSTRALIA CHIEF TO RESIGN THIS MONTH

[TEXT] SYDNEY, Aug 9 Asia Pulse - The chairman and managing director of Hewlett-Packard Australasia, Bruce Thompson, will resign from the company this month, ending a 32 year career with the information technology and computer hardware company.

Mr Thompson, who has been chairman and managing director for almost five years, was responsible for the company's Australian and New Zealand operations, more than doubling its revenues from $A720 million ($US418.61 million) to $1.62 billion during that time.

But Mr Thompson said besides this achievement he was most pleased with the company's workplace environment.

"My biggest satisfaction has been from the continuing recognition of HP Australasia as a great place to work," he said. "I'm also proud to see that HP Australasia is now widely regarded as an industry leader in diversity leadership management in the workplace."

Mr Thompson, also a member of the Business Council of Australia and a board member of the Australian Information Industry Association, is regarded as having contributed greatly to the Australian IT industry.

A spokeswoman for HP said he was not leaving for another job but was expected to pursue further opportunities in the industry.

Mr Thompson's replacement will be announced by HP Asia Pacific vice president Siaou-Sze Lien when she visits Australia on August 23-24. Mr Thompson will step down on August 31.

ASIA PULSE [END TEXT]