PeopleSoft avoids the 'C-word'

PeopleSoft kicked off its European customer event in London today with stand-in keynote speaker and co-president Phil Wilmington steering clear of any mention of sacked CEO Craig Conway.

Before being fired on Friday, Conway was scheduled to deliver the keynote speech at the Excel conference centre in London's Docklands and his name was still on much of the show literature at PeopleSoft Connect.

Co-president Wilmington stood in to open the show with just over two days notice and despite avoiding any mention of Conway himself there was still room for a few barbs in his speech.

Wilmington said co-founder Dave Duffield had been returned to head up the company with his innovative spirit and to "bring back the values on which PeopleSoft was founded".

"[They are] integrity, honesty and respect - for your customers and every one of your employees," he said. "It means a renewed focus from our entire company on innovation and leadership."

Wilmington thanked PeopleSoft customers in the audience for their continued support during a year that "tested our resolve" and said the company had been "humbled" by it.

There was also no talk of the hostile Oracle takeover bid, despite the US Department of Justice saying it will not appeal the court's decision to side with Oracle's view that a takeover would not be anti-competitive.

In stark contrast to Conway's previous track record of speaking out on the subject, Wilmington brushed it aside saying, in a somewhat understated fashion, that there had been "a bit of an issue with a hostile takeover".