Micro Focus says HPE's John Schultz has quit board

Micro Focus International said John Schultz had left its board and would be replaced by an independent non-executive director.

The business software company said Schultz had stepped down immediately. After his recent appointment as chief legal officer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) he needs to concentrate on his new job and Micro Focus requires a more independent director, Micro Focus said.

Micro Focus became Britain's biggest technology company in September when it bought HPE's software business for $8.8bn (£6.6bn). The deal, which coincided with Micro Focus joining the FTSE 100, gave HPE shareholders 50.1% of the combined company and HPE installed Schultz on the board as a nominated director.

Micro Focus said: "Micro Focus and HPE have agreed that HPE should nominate an independent non-executive to replace John Schultz on the Micro Focus board. This will enable John Schultz to focus on his new responsibilities and enable Micro Focus to increase the mix of independent directors on the board."