Mark V. Hurd was forced out of his position as the CEO of Hewlett-Packard yesterday after an investigation revealed "inappropriate conduct." The investigation did not confirm violations of Hewlett-Packard's sexual harassment policy. It did, however, reveal that Mr. Hurd had committed a series of indiscretions, including: failing to disclose a personal relationship with Jodie Fisher, an HP marketing consultant, that constituted a conflict of interest, submitting inaccurate expense reports, and misusing company assets.
The investigation demonstrated that Mr. Hurd had a close relationship with Ms. Fisher and often had private dinners with her, which he paid for with company funds. The New York Times estimates that he misrepresented up to $20,000 of personal expenses.