Happy New Year:
Today's Globe:
Tucci joins EMC as it's 'on a roll'
As president, to team with CEO Ruettgers
By Steven Syre, Globe Staff, 1/1/2000
Joseph Tucci sees lots of opportunities in his new job but doesn't have any doubts about the top requirement of the position.
As expected, EMC Corp. named Tucci yesterday as its new president and chief operating officer, the number two position at the Hopkinton-based computer storage leader behind chief executive Michael Ruettgers.
'EMC is obviously on a roll,' said Tucci, the former chief executive of Wang Global of Billerica. 'I'm a pragmatist. My first priority is: Don't break anything.'
EMC said it is giving Tucci day-to-day responsibility for operations that include sales and services, marketing, engineering, manufacturing, human resources, alliances, information systems, and facilities. It said Ruettgers, who had been president and chief executive since 1992, would continue to be responsible for EMC's 'overall strategic market and technology direction.'
'I look at it as a partnership with Mike,' Tucci said of his new position. 'He is one of the undisputed leaders in the high-tech field. I think our strengths complement each other and I think we're going to be a great team.'
EMC has been one of the most successful public companies in America during Ruettgers's eight years in charge, driven by rapidly increasing demand for the storage of information by computer systems.
Company officials cited EMC's growth in recent years and expectations it will double business again over the next several years as reasons it wanted to add depth to its senior management ranks.
EMC has told analysts it expects to hire about 4,500 employees to accommodate further expansion of its enterprise computer storage and software businesses.
Tucci had been chief executive of Wang Global since it emerged from US Bankrutpcy Court protection in 1993. The company was sold over the summer for $2 billion to Getronics NV of the Netherlands.
Tucci resigned from a transitional management post with Getronics this month.
Tucci said he had been discussing the possibility of joining EMC with Ruettgers for several months, but also had considered opportunities at start-up Internet firms, in venture capital, and with other large companies.
'It's a pretty frothy time out there for executives,' he said. 'I was not opportunity constrained.' |
