Shaky at the Top

If you want a sheltered berth in a safe corporate harbor, don't join the top management of a computer manufacturer. In May, Commodore president Max Toy announced his resignation to "pursue other interests." By most accounts, Toy fell victim to the well-known impatience of his boss, CBM Chairman Irving Gould. Apparently, Toy was not moving the corporate ship forward as quickly as Gould wanted, even though CBM has posted impressive financial and market-share gains during the year that Toy was at the helm. Tom Rizzo. CBM's eastern sales manager, left at about the same time as Toy. These personnel changes are expected to have no major effect on Commodore's plans for the Amiga.

Gould named Harold Copperman, formerly of Apple's education division, as Toy's replacement. Copperman is just one of a flock of corporate defectors from Apple, which is having its own management problems. Many executives are fleeing Apple's organizational tempests to presumably calmer waters at Sun, Commodore, and even IBM. If I were these folks, however, I wouldn't jump ship without a life preserver.