HP Former CEO Says Board Shares Blame for Autonomy Deal

Hewlett-Packard Co.’s former Chief Executive Officer Leo Apotheker, who has drawn criticism for the troubled acquisition of Autonomy Corp., said the company’s board -- led by Chairman Ray Lane -- shares responsibility for the deal.

“No single CEO is ever able to make a decision on a major acquisition in isolation, particularly at a company as large as HP -- and certainly not without the full support of the chairman of the board,” Apotheker said in an e-mailed statement yesterday. “The HP board, led by its chairman, met many times to review the acquisition and unanimously supported the deal, as well as the underlying strategic objective to bolster HP’s market presence in enterprise data.”