New 3Com CEO Mao to Be Based in China
Tue Apr 29, 7:00 PM ET
The new CEO, Robert Mao, will replace Edgar Masri, who is leaving the company after less than two years. But in what may be a promising sign for 3Com, former longtime executive Ron Sege is returning as president and chief operating officer.
3Com struggled for years against larger rival Cisco Systems, but in 2003 it formed H-3C, a joint venture with Chinese networking giant Huawei to develop and build products in China for both that market and the rest of the world. In late 2006, under Masri's leadership, it bought out Huawei's share in the venture. H-3C didn't go far toward re-establishing 3Com's market share in the U.S., but the company says it now has a dominant market share in China. Last year, Masri said the difference in salaries between China and other countries created an "arbitrage opportunity" for 3Com . . .
