Former chief executive of handset manufacturer Palm, Ed Colligan, was reportedly approached by Apple chief executive Steve Jobs two years ago to ensure both companies would not hire each others’ employees, Bloomberg has reported.
Two months after Apple introduced the iPhone, the two executives reportedly met to discuss the matter after Jobs became concerned that Palm was targetting former Apple employees. Back then Palm had just hired former Apple executive Jon Rubinstein.
“Your proposal that we agree that neither company will hire the other’s employees, regardless of the individual’s desires, is not only wrong, it is likely illegal,” Bloomberg reports Colligan as saying.
Palm has since hired a suite of former Apple executives, including vice president of brand design Jeff Zwerner, senior vice president of product development Mike Bell, head of public relations Lynn Fox and board member Fred Anderson.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
