Summary
In 1999, Jeffrey Rodek was brought in to salvage the wreck of Hyperion's failed merger with Arbor Software. Rodek was a self-described numbers guy who had cut his management teeth during a 16-year stint at FedEx, but two years into his rescue operation at the financial reporting software maker, he decided the Santa Clara-based company could do better faster if it hired a chief operating officer who possessed the salesmanship he lacked. He found his man in Godfrey Sullivan, a former division president at design software maker Autodesk who also had spent 11 years at Apple Computer. As soon as Sullivan arrived, Rodek went a step beyond making him a strong "No. 2"-he began preparing him to take over the corner office. Ten months ago, Rodek packed up his office and headed home to Orange County, CA, leaving Sullivan in charge. Rodek retains executive chairmanship of the board. Hyperion thus became the rare Silicon Valley company to enjoy a smooth transition between leaders. If only more Valley companies, where tech execs take on the aura of Hollywood moguls, could say the same.
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Succession in the Valley
In 1999, Jeffrey Rodek was brought in to salvage the wreck of Hyperion's failed merger with Arbor Software. Roclek was a self-described numbers guy who had cut his management teeth during a 16-year stint at FedEx, but two years into his rescue operation at the financial reporting software maker, he decided the Santa Clara-based company could do better faster if it hired a chief operating officer who possessed the salesmanship he lacked. He found his man in 51-year-old Godfrey Sullivan, a former division president at design software maker Autodesk who also h...
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