Dell and Rackable's CFOs a-go-go

Dell-y Don Carty

Dell's finance chief Don Carty will step down next month, ending his short stint of overseeing the books during the computer maker's internal accounting probe.

He will be replaced June 13 by Brian Gladden, former CEO of SABIC Innovative Plastics Holdings — a spinoff of General Electric Plastics. Gladden previously worked at GE for about 20 years.

Carty is apparently done cleaning house at the number two computer maker. He had replaced then-CFO James Schneider in December 2006, when the US Securities and Exchange Commission began sniffing into its financial book-keeping. The following internal investigation by Dell uncovered evidence that unnamed executives were involved with fixing account balances to meet quarterly objectives and providing false information to auditors.

"Don has played a key role in re-establishing transparency and integrity in our financial practices and we are extremely grateful to have had his leadership," said CEO Michael Dell in a statement.

Carty will remain as a member of the company's board of directors, which he joined in 1992.

Rackable promotes Wheat from chaff

Meanwhile at Rackable Systems, James Wheat is now officially the chief financial officer after serving a month as interim CFO while Madhu Ranganathan readied her departure.

Prior to joining Rackable, Wheat was vice president and corporate controller at the wafer fabrication equipment house, Lam Research Corporation. ®