Hewlett-Packard Co.'s board shakeup, including Ray Lane's exit as chairman, gives Chief Executive Officer Meg Whitman a clearer path to revive growth and shake off years of tumult at the world's largest computer maker.

A former president of Oracle Corp., Lane failed to use his extensive experience in enterprise computing to help Hewlett-Packard's turnaround, and his public gaffes — including being photographed using an Apple Inc. computer — also sometimes served as an embarrassment to the company.

Lane, 66, instead bore the stain of the disastrous 11-month tenure of former CEO Leo Apotheker and the company's acquisition of software maker Autonomy Corp., which led to an $8.8 billion writedown and accusations of accounting fraud. To build on the momentum that Whitman has begun to show, the board is seeking a new chairman with global experience and who can devote more time and energy to revival efforts, Pat Russo, a company director, said in an e-mailed statement. Until then, Ralph Whitworth will serve as interim chairman.