3Com Corp has filled one of the gaps left when senior executives walked out of its Palm Computing subsidiary last July, but in doing so has deprived Hewlett-Packard Co’s VeriFone Inc unit of its president and chief executive. Robin Abrams, VeriFone’s CEO since April 1998, will begin work at Palm Computing on February 12 as president of the division and senior VP of 3Com.
The position has been vacant since the departure of Donna Dubinsky, former general manager of Palm; Jeff Hawkins, former chief technology officer; and Ed Colligan, former vice president of marketing in July 1998 to form Handspring Inc to develop rival handheld technology. Janice Roberts, senior VP business development has been serving as acting president of the division since July.
Abrams joined VeriFone in March 1997, rose to head sales and marketing for the Americas and then took over the top role when VeriFone founder Hatim Tyabji stepped aside. Before that she spent five years at Apple Computer Corp. Abrams will report to Bruce Claflin, 3Com president and chief operating officer.