HP CEO Hurd to join News Corp. Board

Hewlett-Packard CEO Mark Hurd has been named to the board of media giant News Corp, Reuters reports.

Hurd’s nomination was recommended by Thomas Perkins of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, who 18 months ago stirred up controversy when he set in motion the events that plunged HP into federal investigations over the company board’s handling of repeated leaks to the media.

HP Spokesperson Emma McCulloch told Reuters that it was Perkins’ who recommended the idea to tap Hurd to join the board, and that there were no hard feelings from the 2005-2006 time frame, when Perkins himself sat on HP’s board. He left in 2006 to protest the board’s investigation into leaks into the media, and called for the resignation of HP former-chairman Patricia Dunn in September of that year.

“Tom brought Mark to Rupert’s attention and Rubert Murdoch approached Mark about this position,” McCulloch told Reuters. “The relationship is friendly and built on respect.”

Hurd will serve on News Corp’s nominating and corporate governance committee.