Lewis Platt, former CEO at HP, dies

Lewis Platt, who was president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co. from November 1992 through July 1999, died yesterday, the company said today. He was 64.

In 1993, he succeeded David Packard as chairman, a position he retained, along with the president and CEO titles, until his retirement.

Widely admired for his personal energy, openness and humor, Platt successfully led HP during a period of rapid growth and technological change, HP said in a statement.

From December 2003 through June 2005, Platt served as nonexecutive chairman of The Boeing Co., helping to oversee Boeing’s efforts to recover from a series of procurement scandals. He was also lead director of the aircraft maker’s board.

He oversaw the search for a new CEO at Boeing to replace Harry Stonecipher, who was ousted earlier this year following a sex scandal. Boeing ultimately selected James McNerney, former head of 3M Co., who also took over the chairman’s post from Platt when he was named CEO at the end of June.

“Lew shepherded Boeing with strength, grace, dignity and integrity through a period when the company most needed his steady hand,” McNerney said in a statement. “He was a compassionate man who put his own retirement and personal plans on the back burner to ensure that Boeing never missed a beat through its recent recovery.”

Platt joined HP in 1966, starting in the company’s medical products unit. He later moved up to managing various parts of HP’s computer business. Platt was named an executive vice president in 1987 and retired from HP in 1999. He was CEO of Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates Ltd. from 2000 to mid-2001.

At HP, Platt decided to split the world’s second-largest computer company into two separate businesses, HP and Agilent Technologies Inc. — a move that followed criticism that the company had allowed itself to be outmaneuvered by rivals.

Platt said he would step aside as part of the restructuring. He was replaced by Carly Fiorina, who was ousted earlier this year.

“The way he treated people and how he ran the company set an exceptionally high standard of personal decency,” Mark Hurd, CEO at HP, said in a statement.

Reuters contributed to this story.