Analysis
In a Bloomberg Businessweek interview published in June 2011, Léo Apotheker explicitly said, “I am not a hardware guy. I am a software guy. I believe the future of this company is in software and solutions, not in hardware.” The quote appears verbatim in the article and has been reproduced by multiple news outlets covering his tenure at HP. The statement matches the context of his strategic focus on software and services during his brief period as HP CEO.
Background
Léo Apotheker, formerly CEO of SAP, became chief executive of Hewlett‑Packard in September 2010. During his tenure, he sought to shift HP’s emphasis from its traditional hardware business toward software, services, and solutions, a direction that generated significant internal debate and contributed to his departure in September 2011.
Verdict summary
Apotheker did make that statement in a 2011 Bloomberg Businessweek interview.