Ellen Hancock
Ellen Mooney Hancock | |
|---|---|
| Born | 15 April 1943 Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Died | 19 April 2022 (aged 79) |
| Occupation | Technology executive |
| Known for | Leadership roles at IBM, National Semiconductor, Apple, Exodus Communications, Acquicor |
Ellen Mooney Hancock (April 15, 1943 – April 19, 2022) was a distinguished American executive in the technology sector, known for her leadership roles at IBM, National Semiconductor, and Apple.
Early life and education
Hancock was born in the Bronx and grew up in Westchester County, New York. She completed her undergraduate studies at the College of New Rochelle and later obtained a master's degree in mathematics from Fordham University.
IBM
During a 29-year tenure at IBM, Hancock advanced to the position of senior vice president, where she managed both network hardware and software divisions. Throughout the early 1990s, she directed the networking hardware unit amid ongoing declines in market share; this segment was ultimately sold to Cisco in 1999. Additionally, she was a member of IBM’s Corporate Executive Committee and Worldwide Management Council.
National Semiconductor
In September 1995, Hancock was appointed Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at National Semiconductor after being recruited by CEO Gil Amelio. She worked closely with Amelio to return the company to profitability and contributed to the development of the CompactRISC architecture, which later influenced the successful ARM7 processor. When Amelio transitioned to Apple in 1996, Hancock followed him there.
Apple
At Apple, Hancock assumed the role of Chief Technology Officer during a challenging phase characterized by difficulties with the Copland operating system project. She was instrumental in terminating Copland and advocated for adopting Sun Microsystems' Solaris OS instead of NeXTSTEP. Despite her stance, Apple proceeded with acquiring NeXT along with Steve Jobs, who openly criticized Hancock’s management style. After Amelio's departure and Jobs’ restructuring of the company, Hancock’s duties were limited to quality assurance before she eventually resigned.
Exodus Communications
Following her time at Apple, Hancock became CEO of Exodus Communications in March 1998 and was named chairman in 2000. Under her leadership, Exodus set a Nasdaq record by achieving 19 consecutive quarters of 40% revenue growth quarter-over-quarter. By 2000, its market capitalization reached $29 billion, surpassing that of Apple. However, during the 2001 dot-com crash, Exodus’s stock value plummeted; Hancock stepped down as CEO in September 2001, and the company filed for bankruptcy that same month. Its assets were acquired by Cable & Wireless in February 2002 and subsequently purchased by Savvis Communications in November 2004.
Acquicor
Hancock held the positions of President, COO, and board secretary at Acquicor, a special purpose acquisition company she co-founded alongside former Apple CEO Gil Amelio and co-founder Steve Wozniak. In February 2007, Acquicor completed the acquisition of Jazz Semiconductor. Hancock resigned from her roles on June 7, 2007.
Memberships
She served on the boards of various corporations such as Aetna, Colgate-Palmolive, Electronic Data Systems, and Ripcord Networks. Her involvement also extended to academic and nonprofit organizations including Marist College, Santa Clara University, and the Pacific Council on International Policy.