October 1, 1996 10:45 AM ET
Marengi downplays
chances as next Novell CEO
By John Dodge and Lisa Wirthman
Has Novell Inc. President Joe Marengi taken himself out of
contention for the vacant CEO job?
He says he's still in the running, but from the sounds of it, he's
not expecting to get the job. On Tuesday, Marengi said Novell
needs an "industry luminary who looks over the [technical]
horizon."
Those are exactly the strengths Marengi admits he does not
have. He compared his potential relationship with a new CEO to
the relationship Oracle Corp. President Ray Lane enjoys with
Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison. Lane runs Oracle, which is what
Marengi envisions himself doing, while Ellison is considered
Oracle's chief strategist and visionary.
The position has been unfilled since Robert Frankenberg resigned
as chairman, CEO and president in late August.
Marengi will be left to ramrod projects, manage the organization
and oversee marketing. He already is dismantling the many
separate profit and loss units set up by his predecessor to create
one face for the company.
"It's the one Novell concept. We were way too fragmented," he
said, saying the new philosophy will not have a big organizational
impact, but will mean one marketing organization across the
entire company.
Novell sources also said Steve Markman, the former executive
vice president and general manager of the company's Product
Group, left Novell because he wanted the job Marengi just got.
Markman applied for, but obviously did not get, the Novell
presidency. Two weeks ago, Markman became the CEO of
General Magic Inc.
Also on the Novell personnel front, Marengi said the company had
extended an offer to a new marketing vice president and that an
announcement could come as soon as this week.
Novell is based in Provo, Utah.
=====================================================================
Joe... |
