. ▁Cap ell as ▁joined ▁Com pa q ▁Computer ▁Corporation ▁as ▁C IO ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁when ▁president ▁and ▁chief ▁executive ▁officer ▁( CE O ) ▁E ck hard ▁P fe iffer ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁res ign ▁after ▁a ▁board room ▁coup ▁led ▁by ▁chairman ▁Benjamin ▁M . ▁Rosen , ▁Rosen ▁took ▁on ▁the ▁capacity ▁of ▁inter im ▁CE O ▁while ▁Cap ell as ▁was ▁elev ated ▁to ▁CO O . ▁Several ▁months ▁later , ▁Cap ell as ▁became ▁permanent ▁CE O ▁and ▁Chair man ▁of ▁Com pa q . ▁ ▁As ▁chairman ▁and ▁CE O ▁of ▁Com pa q ▁between ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁Cap ell as ▁helped ▁repair ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁Microsoft ▁and ▁Com pa q , ▁which ▁had ▁er oded ▁over ▁the ▁years . ▁His ▁efforts ▁resulted ▁in ▁Com pa q ▁becoming ▁Microsoft ' s ▁key ▁strateg ic ▁partner ▁for ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁its ▁Windows ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁operating ▁system . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁Cap ell as ▁led ▁Com pa q ▁into ▁an ▁ac quisition ▁by ▁H ew lett - Pack ard , ▁but ▁the ▁deal ▁was ▁delayed ▁for ▁eight ▁months ▁because ▁of ▁a ▁proxy ▁and ▁board room ▁battle ▁within ▁H P . ▁Finally , ▁on ▁May ▁ 3 , ▁ 2 0 0 2 , ▁H ew lett - Pack ard ▁announced ▁appro val ▁of ▁the ▁ac quisition ▁and ▁Cap ell as ▁became