Symantec CEO to retire

Symantec’s chairman and CEO John W. Thompson will retire as CEO at the end of the fiscal year.

The board of directors has appointed Enrique T. Salem, Symantec’s chief operating officer, as president and chief executive officer as of April, 2009.

Following the transition, Thompson, 59, will remain as chairman of the board and Salem, 43, will join the board of directors.

“I am proud of our team’s accomplishments over the past 10 years as we’ve transformed the company from a consumer software publisher to the leader in Internet security, data protection and storage management,” said Thompson.

“I’ve always believed planning for succession was a critical part of my role and, for the past two years, have been working with the board on a thoughtful succession plan.

"Through that process, Enrique emerged as the right person to lead the company and I am confident in his ability to continue to drive the success of our team,” he added.

According to Robert S. Miller, lead independent director of Symantec’s board, Thompson helped to diversify Symantec’s customer base and grow the company’s revenue tenfold.

Salem has been an integral part of the Symantec leadership team. In January 2008, he was appointed chief operating officer responsible for the company’s day-to-day operations, global product development, sales and marketing.

During the past year, he leveraged R&D investments to enhance integration across the portfolio and established a common set of metrics to improve execution and drive results.

“Symantec has a history of innovation and a solid foundation for growth. I am confident in the team and our ability to execute for our customers,” said Salem. “

I am delighted to have this opportunity to lead a great company through its next phase of growth and shareholder value creation,” he added.

Salem will continue in his current role as chief operating officer until the end of the fiscal year.

Prior to being named chief operating officer, he held a number of roles at Symantec, including senior vice president of the security products and solutions group, group president of the consumer business unit and group president of worldwide sales and marketing.

“Enrique is a strong leader with extensive knowledge of our business and great relationships with our customers and employees,” said Miller.

“His breadth of experience throughout his career and the depth of his knowledge about Symantec uniquely qualify him to lead the company in its next stage of growth.”

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