2009’s most talked about IT resignations

[bholus10]

In August this year, the final curtain fell on Nortel when its president and CEO Mike Zafirovski stepped down.

After suffering losses of $5 billion last year and then undergoing bankruptcy protection in Canada and the US in January, Toronto-based Nortel announced to wind itself up by selling its various businesses to pay off creditors.

Zafirovski, an American who joined Nortel from Motorola, said, "We have taken many steps. We have completed the organizational moves of Nortel's businesses to vertically integrated, stand-alone business units."

[bholus10]

Lenovo President and CEO William Amelio resigned after the Chinese PC maker reported a nearly $97 million loss for its fiscal third quarter.

The company said in a statement that Amelio will be succeeded by chairman Yang Yuanqing. The announcement came at the end of Amelio's three-year contract with the company, Lenovo said, adding that Amelio will serve as a special adviser until September 30.

Lenovo, the world's fourth-largest PC manufacturer, said global shipments fell 5% in the October-December quarter.

A former Dell Computer executive, Amelio had replaced previous Lenovo CEO Stephen Ward in December 2005 -- a year after the Chinese company purchased IBM's PC group.

Amelio's resignation followed Lenovo's announcement of 11% layoffs, or 2,500 jobs.

[bholus10]

Xerox Chairman and CEO Anne Mulcahy stepped down as chief executive from July 1. Mulcahy was replaced as CEO by company president Ursula Burns.

Mulcahy, who joined Xerox in 1976 as a sales representative, will remain chairman on the board. She took over as chief executive in August 2001 and as chairman in January 2002.

[bholus10]

In May this year, Satyam Computers Australia chief Deepak Nangia quit from his high-profile role in pursuit of greener pastures, according to reports.

Nangia was quoted saying by The Australian, "I left the company to pursue other opportunities."

He joined Satyam in 2002 and during his tenure Nangia built Satyam Australia into a 200-million-Aus-dollars company, securing blue-chip clients such as Telstra, NAB and Qantas.