Steve Bennett to be Named Chairman of Symantec
Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2011 9:25 am
Steve Bennett to be Named Chairman of Symantec
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – Aug. 1, 2011 – Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced that its board of directors intends to elect independent board member, Steve Bennett, to the position of Chairman. Bennett will succeed John W. Thompson, former Symantec CEO and Chairman. Thompson will continue to serve the remainder of his term, but has chosen not to stand for reelection in order to pursue other business and personal interests. Bennett will assume the Chairman position effective October 25, 2011, at the conclusion of Thompson’s term and immediately following Symantec’s 2011 annual meeting of stockholders.
“I am honored to accept this position and look forward to playing a greater role in Symantec’s success,” said Bennett. “With the impact of mobile, cloud, virtulization and the continued escalation of the threat landscape, there are a number of exciting growth opportunities ahead for Symantec.”
“I want to thank John for his significant contributions to Symantec. His guidance and foresight helped Symantec to evolve and grow into the global leader it is today,” said Robert S. Miller, lead independent director, Symantec.
“In my years with Symantec I’ve had the opportunity to work with an amazingly talented team who worked tirelessly to protect our customers and enable them to be confident online,” said Thompson. “I believe that Symantec is on the right path and came to my decision to step down from the board of directors, knowing that Enrique, Steve and the other members of the board are enabling a vision that positions Symantec well for future success. Steve’s leadership and expertise in delivering technology across the enterprise, small and mid-sized business and consumer markets will be a valuable asset in guiding Symantec’s future direction.”
Bennett joined Symantec’s board of directors in February 2010. He previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer at Intuit. At Intuit, Bennett combined the company's innovative and customer-driven expertise with strategic and operational rigor, enabling Intuit to grow its existing businesses. Bennett joined Intuit after a 23-year career at General Electric, where he managed complex and diverse organizations from consumer appliances to financial services.
Bennett currently serves on boards at American Airlines and parent company AMR Corporation, Qualcomm and Vertafore. Bennett graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a bachelor’s degree in finance and real estate.
About Symantec
Symantec is a global leader in providing security, storage and systems management solutions to help consumers and organizations secure and manage their information-driven world. Our software and services protect against more risks at more points, more completely and efficiently, enabling confidence wherever information is used or stored. More information is available at www.symantec.com.