Patricia dunn hp biography

Corporate information leak investigation

On September 5, 2006, Newsweek revealed that the general counsel of Hewlett-Packard, at the behest of HP chairwoman Patricia Dunn, had contracted a team of independent security experts to investigate board members and several journalists in order to identify the source of an information leak. In turn, those security experts recruited private investigators who used a spying technique known as pretexting. The pretexting involved investigators impersonating HP board members and nine journalists (including reporters for CNET, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal) in order to obtain their phone records. The information leaked related to HP's long-term strategy and was published as part of a CNET article in January 2006. HP hired public relations firm Sitrick and Company to manage their media relations during the crisis.

Patricia Dunn claimed she did not know beforehand the methods the investigators used to try to determine the source of the leak. Board member George Keyworth was ultimately accused of being the source and on September 12, 2006, he resigned, although he continued to deny making unauthorized disclosures of confidential information to journalists and was thanked by Mark Hurd for his board service. It was also announced at that time that Dunn would continue as chairwoman until January 18, 2007, at which point HP CEO Mark Hurd would succeed her. Then, on September 22, 2006 HP announced that Dunn had resigned as chairwoman because of the "distraction her presence on our board" created. On September 28, 2006, Ann Baskins, HP's general counsel, resigned hours before she was to appear as a witness before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where she would ultimately invoke the Fifth Amendment to refuse to answer questions.

Investig

Dunn did not enter a plea, despite a statement earlier yesterday from California Attorney General Jerry Brown saying that she planned to plead guilty to a misdemeanor.

Three other former HP hires pleaded no contest to misdemeanor counts of fraudulent wire communications and were given community service sentences.

All the charges were related to the so-called pretexting scandal, which saw HP hire detectives to obtain the private phone records of journalists and its own directors.

Dunn, who revealed last year she is currently undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, was understandably relieved.

I am pleased that this matter has been resolved fairly, and want to express my deep gratitude to my husband and family, who never lost faith in me throughout this ordeal, she said in a statement.

Former HP ethics director Kevin Hunsaker, private investigator Ron DeLia and Matthew Depante, manager of information broker Action Research Group, all pleaded guilty to misdemeanors yesterday.

Bryan Wagner, an independent investigator at ARG in Colorado, pleaded guilty to federal charges in January, as part of a plea deal that saw the California charged dropped. He could face jail time for identity theft.

It’s a complete result for Dunn, who was originally charged with felonies including using false or fraudulent pretenses to garner confidential information from a public utility, identity theft, unauthorized access to computer data, and conspiracy.

The charges were made by California’s previous attorney general, Bill Lockyer, but were bartered down when Brown came into office this year.

We had numerous discussions with the California Attorney General’s office and appreciate very much that the administration of the new Attorney General decided to allow the judge to dismiss the case against Pattie Dunn, said Dunn’s attorney, James Brosnahan, in a statement.

Starting two years ago, HP hired private investigators to track

How do you take the measure of a life like Patricia Dunn’s?

For many people, the former chairwoman of Hewlett-Packard, who died this month after an eight-year battle with ovarian cancer, will forever be defined by her role in the “Spygate” scandal that thrust her briefly into the public spotlight four years ago.

That episode aside, though, Dunn’s biography is a stirring tale. She rose from modest circumstances to the pinnacle of global finance, earning a legion of admirers who revere her business acumen, her integrity, her philanthropy and her dedication to family.

On Wednesday, more than 500 of them gathered at San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall for a three-hour memorial service, to celebrate her life and to defend her legacy.

“She deserves a whole lot better,” said Anthony Bianco, who wrote a book about Spygate, the scandal in which HP hired private investigators to spy on board members and journalists, and who is now working on Dunn’s official biography.

And yet, as I listened to the truly heartfelt tales of Dunn’s life, I found myself wondering: What is the proper balance between the two sides of this remarkable woman?

In resurrecting her reputation, her friends and family couldn’t have picked a more glorious setting. The day was clear and crisp, and the majesty of Davies Hall was enhanced by the string quartet playing as attendees found their seats. The venue also highlighted her generosity; she was a board member of the symphony and a major donor.

Dunn’s sister, Debbie Lammers, recounted the hard, early years. Dunn had eye surgery when she was young, and had to wait two years to start school. Her dad died a few years later and her mom moved the family to Marin County where a man swindled her out of her money.

She and her sister took odd jobs to support their mom, and Dunn delayed her own college education. When Dunn finally entered the business world, she started as a secretary.

American businesswoman and executive (1953–2011)

For other people with the same name, see Pat Dunn (disambiguation).

Patricia C. Dunn (March 27, 1953 – December 4, 2011) was the non-executive chairman of the board of Hewlett-Packard (HP) from February 2005 until September 22, 2006, when she resigned her position.

On October 4, 2006, Bill Lockyer, the California attorney general, charged Dunn with four felonies for her role in the HP spying scandal. Some members of the press reported that Dunn had been scapegoated. On March 14, 2007, California Superior Court Judge Ray Cunningham dismissed the charges against her.

Early life

Born in Burbank, California, Dunn grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada, where both her parents were involved in the casino industry. Her father was the entertainment manager for the Dunes and Tropicana hotel-casinos, and her mother was a model and entertainer. When Dunn was only eleven, her father died. Her mother subsequently moved the family to California.

Education

After graduating from Terra Linda High School in 1970, Dunn entered the University of Oregon, but dropped out to support her mother by working as a housecleaner. She resumed college and graduated from UC Berkeley in 1975 with a B.A. in Journalism.

Career

After college Dunn began working as a temporary secretary at Wells Fargo & Co. She eventually became CEO at Barclays Global Investors, the company that acquired the asset management division of Wells Fargo. In 1998 she joined the HP Board of Directors. In 2001 the Financial Women of San Francisco named Dunn the "Financial Woman of the Year".

Dunn became non-executive chair of the HP board in February 2005 when Carly Fiorina, the CEO and chair of the HP board, left the company. Dunn was also non-executive Vice Chairman of Barclays Global