Computerworld

Borland picks new boss

Borland has announced the appointment of Delbert Yocam, a one-time senior executive at Apple, as its new chief executive and chairman.

Borland has announced the appointment of Delbert Yocam, a one-time senior executive at Apple, as its new chief executive and chairman.

Yocam will be charged with returning the software development toolmaker to profitability, starting with overseeing the promotion of three new products due for release over the next six months, officials say.

With a series of shakey quarterly results last year, Borland has recently been dogged by what has varyingly been described by observers as misfortune and mismanagement.

Yocam's predecessor, Gary Wetsel, resigned in July this year in anticipation of the company reporting poor first quarter earnings. Since then two other top executives, David Mullen and Paul Gross, have left the company.

Borland posted a net loss of US$9.8 million for the second quarter, compared with US$2.6 million in net income for the same quarter last year.

Yocam, who takes up his new role next month, was executive vice-president and COO of Apple from 1986 to 1988, and president of the company's Pacific division from 1988 to 1989. After leaving Apple Yocam served as president and COO of Tektronix, a hardware technology company in Wilsonville, Oregon.

Borland, based in Scotts Valley, California, can be contacted on the Web at http://www.borland.com.