Two key marketing executives in Compaq's early years, Jim D'Arezzo and Sparky Sparks, had come from IBM's PC Group. Other key executives responsible for the company's meteoric growth in the late 1980s and early 1990s were Ross A. Cooley, another former IBM associate, who served for many years as SVP of GM North America; Michael Swavely, who was the company's chief marketing officer in the early years, and eventually ran the North America organization, later passing along that responsibility to Cooley when Swavely retired. In the United States, Brendan A. "Mac" McLoughlin (another long time IBM executive) led the company's field sales organization after starting up the Western U.S. Area of Operations. These executives, along with other key contributors, including Kevin Ellington, Douglas Johns, Steven Flannigan, and Gary Stimac, helped the company compete against the IBM Corporation in all personal computer sales categories, after many predicted that none could compete with the behemoth.
Two key marketing executives in Compaq's early years Jim D'Arezzo and Sparky Sparks had come from IBM's PC Group Other key executives responsible for the company's meteoric growth in the late 1980s and early 1990s were Ross A Cooley another former IBM associate who served for many years as SVP of GM North America; Michael Swavely who was the company's chief marketing officer in the early years and eventually ran the North America organization later passing along that responsibility to Cooley when Swavely retired In the United States Brendan A "Mac" McLoughlin (another long time IBM executive) led the company's field sales organization after starting up the Western US Area of Operations These executives along with other key contributors including Kevin Ellington Douglas Johns Steven Flannigan and Gary Stimac helped the company compete against the IBM Corporation in all personal computer sales categories after many predicted that none could compete with the behemoth