John A. Young
John A. Young | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 24, 1932 Nampa, Idaho, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Electrical engineer, corporate executive |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Known for | CEO of Hewlett-Packard (1978–1992) |
John A. Young (born April 24, 1932) is a prominent American electrical engineer and corporate leader. He held the position of chief executive officer at Hewlett-Packard from 1978 until 1992 and previously served on the board of directors for Wells Fargo & Company.
Biography
Originating from Nampa, Idaho, Young obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University in 1953, followed by a Master of Business Administration from Stanford University. Between 1954 and 1956, he fulfilled his duties as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force.
Young began his career at Hewlett-Packard in 1958, advancing to vice president by 1968. He was promoted to executive vice president and director in 1974. In 1977, he took over as president from William Hewlett, also assuming the role of chief operating officer that same year, before becoming CEO in 1978.
In 1985, Young was appointed to the board of Chevron, maintaining his directorship following its merger with Texaco until 2003. He led President Reagan's Commission on Industrial Competitiveness and established the Council on Competitiveness in 1986, chairing it through 1990. Additionally, he provided counsel to President Clinton on matters related to science and technology from 1993 to 2000.
Young stepped down as HP's president and CEO in October 1992, with Lewis E. Platt succeeding him. He joined Novell’s board in 1995, serving as acting chairman between 1996 and 1997 and as vice chairman until 2001.
Currently, Young serves on the boards of Affymetrix, Vermillion (previously Ciphbergen Biosystems), Fluidigm Corporation, Nanosys Inc., and Perelgen Sciences. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and has held board positions at Wells Fargo, Lucent Technology, Smith Kline Beecham, and Agere Systems.