ISLANDIA, N.Y ? Computer industry publications reported Monday that Computer Associates has tapped IBM veteran John Swainson to be its next CEO, replacing interim CEO Kenneth Cron.
Swainson, who spent 26 years at Big Blue, most recently led the worldwide sales organization for the company’s software group. He assumed that post in July. Swainson, who is 50, previously served as general manager of IBM’s Application Integration and Middleware Group, which handles the WebSphere product line.
Cron has held the interim CEO job since April following the well-publicized departure of then-chairman and CEO Sanjay Kumar, who resigned in the midst of a multibillion-dollar accounting scandal at CA. In September, Kumar was indicted on securities fraud conspiracy and obstruction of justice for his alleged participation in a long-running scheme.
CA agreed to pay $225 million to compensate its shareholders for losses caused by the improper practices and fired executives with connections to the scandal. Under Cron, CA has reorganized its management ranks and acquired several companies, including Netegrity, and cut 800 jobs out of a workforce of 15,000.
