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Antonio Neri

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Antonio Neri
Personal details
Born Antonio Fabio Neri
1967/5/10 (age 58)
🇦🇷 Argentina
Nationality 🇺🇸 American (naturalized 2012)
🇦🇷 Argentine
🇮🇹 Italian
Languages Spanish, Italian, Dutch, English
Education Engineering
Spouse Caroline Neri (m. Late 1990s)
Children 2
Career details
Occupation HPE President & CEO
Compensation $20.06 million (2023)
Net worth $23-58 million (est. 2024)

Antonio Fabio Neri (born 10 May 1967) is an Argentine-Italian-American businessman serving as President and Chief Executive Officer of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), the $28 billion enterprise technology company, since February 2018.[1] Born in Argentina to Sicilian immigrant parents, Neri became HPE's first Latino CEO after rising through the ranks over 23 years from call center employee to CEO - one of the most remarkable immigrant success stories in Silicon Valley.[2] He speaks four languages (Spanish, Italian, Dutch, English) and became a U.S. Citizen with his wife Caroline in 2012.[3]

Neri's tenure has been marked by bold strategic moves and intense controversies. He orchestrated major acquisitions including Juniper Networks ($14 billion, 2024 - currently blocked by DOJ antitrust lawsuit) and pursued HPE's pivot to hybrid cloud and edge computing.[4] However, by April 2025, activist investor Elliott Management took a $1.5 billion stake and reportedly demanded his removal.[5]

Early Life and Education

Born 10 May 1967 in Argentina to Italian immigrant parents, both from Sicily.[6] He developed an interest in electronics and technology as a teenager. At age 15, he began military education, becoming an engineering apprentice for the Argentine Navy and working on ships' radar and sonar systems.[7]

He studied engineering at Escuela Nacional de Educación Técnica and National Technological University (Argentina).[8] He also studied art for nine years in Argentina and taught drawing and painting - a creative side rarely discussed in his corporate profile.

Personal Life

Neri met his wife Caroline at HP's EMEA call center in Amsterdam in 1995, where both worked - she in customer service, he as a support engineer.[9] They married in the late 1990s and have two children. The couple became U.S. Citizens in 2012.[3] The family lives in The Woodlands, Texas, where Neri plays recreational soccer.[10]

Career

Early Career (1995-2004)

Neri left Argentina to work for a small IT company in Italy before joining Hewlett-Packard's customer service department in Amsterdam in 1995.[11] He was promoted to support engineer six months later, then became education manager, call center manager, and services manager for Europe. He relocated to Boise, Idaho in 1997 as global director of HP's imaging and printing services division.

Rise to Executive (2004-2018)

Neri moved to Houston in 2004 for HP's PC services business.[12] He headed the technology services business in 2011. After HP split into HP Inc. And Hewlett Packard Enterprise in 2015, he remained with HPE. He replaced Meg Whitman as President and CEO in February 2018, becoming HPE's first Latino chief executive and joining the board of directors.[1]

CEO Tenure (2018-Present)

Neri led HPE's strategic pivot to hybrid cloud, edge computing, and AI infrastructure.[13] He oversaw acquisitions including Juniper Networks ($14B, 2024).[4] In 2024-2025, he announced 2,500 employee cuts (5% of workforce) over 18 months.[14]

In April 2025, Elliott Management took a $1.5 billion stake and reportedly sought his removal, securing one-two board seats with an Elliott appointee chairing a new Strategy Committee.[5]

Compensation

Neri's total compensation in 2023 was $20.06 million, including $13.7 million as President/CEO/Director.[15] His net worth is estimated at $23M-$58M across various sources.[16]

Controversies

Elliott Management Activist Campaign (2025)

In April 2025, Elliott Management took a $1.5 billion stake in HPE and reportedly sent a letter to the board requesting Neri's removal.[5] Elliott has a history of ousting 14 CEOs since 2022 at portfolio companies. HPE signed a one-year agreement giving Elliott one-two board seats, with an Elliott appointee chairing a new Strategy Committee overseeing company direction.[17] Fortune noted Elliott's involvement "may still cost CEO Antonio Neri his job - or end with a breakup of the company."[18]

Juniper Networks DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit

HPE's proposed $14 billion Juniper Networks acquisition was blocked by a Department of Justice lawsuit in January 2025.[19] The DOJ claimed the merger would "stifle innovation in enterprise networking" on antitrust grounds. HPE is defending the deal amid regulatory scrutiny.

Layoffs and Compensation Disparity

HPE announced 2,500 employee cuts (5% of workforce - one of the largest layoffs under Neri's leadership) over 18 months, despite Neri's 2023 compensation exceeding $20 million.[14] Employee forums report raises of 2% or less, below inflation, fueling internal resentment over compensation disparity.[20]

Inventory Pricing Error

HPE failed to spot an inventory pricing error that wiped more than $3 billion off market capitalization, raising questions about financial controls and management oversight.[21]

Stock Underperformance

HPE stock lost 5.75% year-to-date through 2025, while the S&P 500 gained 6% during the same period - underperformance cited as the rationale for Elliott Management's intervention.[22]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 <ref>"HPE Names Antonio Neri as CEO".{Template:Newspaper.February 2018.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  2. ↑ <ref>"From Call Center to CEO: Antonio Neri's Immigrant Journey".{Template:Newspaper.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 <ref>"HPE CEO Neri's Path to American Citizenship".{Template:Newspaper.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 <ref>"HPE to Acquire Juniper Networks for $14 Billion".{Template:Newspaper.January 2024.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 <ref>"Elliott Takes $1.5B Stake in HPE, Pushes for Changes".{Template:Newspaper.April 2025.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  6. ↑ <ref>"The Sicilian Roots of HPE's CEO".{Template:Newspaper.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  7. ↑ <ref>"HPE CEO's Early Career in Argentine Navy".{Template:Newspaper.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  8. ↑ <ref>"Antonio Neri Biography".Hewlett Packard Enterprise.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  9. ↑ <ref>"How HPE's CEO Met His Wife".{Template:Newspaper.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  10. ↑ <ref>"HPE CEO's Texas Life".{Template:Newspaper.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  11. ↑ <ref>"Neri's HP Journey Began in Amsterdam".{Template:Newspaper.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  12. ↑ <ref>"Neri's Rise Through HP Ranks".{Template:Newspaper.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  13. ↑ <ref>"HPE's Cloud Strategy Under Neri".{Template:Newspaper.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 <ref>"HPE Announces 2,500 Layoffs".{Template:Newspaper.2024.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  15. ↑ <ref>"HPE 2023 Proxy Statement".Hewlett Packard Enterprise.2023.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  16. ↑ <ref>"Antonio Neri Net Worth".{Template:Newspaper.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  17. ↑ <ref>"HPE Reaches Deal with Elliott".{Template:Newspaper.April 2025.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  18. ↑ <ref>"Elliott's HPE Move Threatens Neri's Job".{Template:Newspaper.April 2025.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  19. ↑ <ref>"DOJ Sues to Block HPE-Juniper Deal".{Template:Newspaper.January 2025.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  20. ↑ <ref>"HPE Employees Criticize CEO Pay vs. Layoffs".{Template:Newspaper.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  21. ↑ <ref>"HPE Inventory Error Costs $3B in Market Cap".{Template:Newspaper.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
  22. ↑ <ref>"HPE Stock Lags Market".{Template:Newspaper.Retrieved December 15, 2025.</ref>
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