Carly Fiorina's troubling telecom past

[kpete]

Source: Fortune

Carly Fiorina's troubling telecom past
Posted by Scott Woolley
October 15, 2010 4:00 AM

Before she became the controversial CEO of HP, Senate candidate Carly Fiorina was a star at Lucent. What does her time at the telecom disaster say about her?

In the spring of 1999, Lucent Technology's star executive Carly Fiorina pulled off yet another coup—or so it appeared. A tiny start-up called PathNet agreed to buy huge amounts of fiber-optic gear from Lucent, a deal worth at least $440 million and potentially as much as $2.1 billion. The agreement Fiorina negotiated "potentially represents the single largest fiber supply agreement to a network operator in the U.S," according to a triumphant press release.

While it was unclear how a tiny company like PathNet, with barely 100 employees and all of $1.6 million in annual revenue, could swing such as massive purchase, Wall Street didn't seem to care about such details. The day following the announcement Lucent's stock jumped 3%.

As she tells it on the campaign trail, Fiorina's life story is an inspiring tale full of such achievements. From an unlikely start as a secretary she raced up the corporate ladder to record heights, becoming the first female to run a Fortune 20 company, Hewlett Packard (HPQ). Now, after battling cancer, she's running to oust Barbara Boxer (D., Calif) from the U.S. Senate.

Read more: http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/10/15/carly-fiorinas-troubling-telecom-past/

[Champion Jack]

1. She ran HP alright, almost into the ground

[bemildred]

2. Yeah, ask any old HP hand what they think of Carly.

You will get an earfull.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

3. Another company she screwed up.

The article doesn't say much more about PathNet. Their story sounds a lot like the Worldcom fiasco.

I've been in the telecommunication business for the last 32 years. Lucent's fiber equipment technology wise was way behind their competitors.

Lucent technologies has since been bought out by the French firm Alcatel.

[Hekate]

4. KnR

[TexasProgresive]

5. She has all the qualifications of a former pResident of the WH

Nothing like being a failure in business to endear on to the Repuke faithful.