PALO ALTO, Calif.--Sept. 9, 2005-- HP today issued the following statement in response to the death of Lew Platt: HP and its employees extend their deepest sympathies to the family of Lew Platt. Mr. Platt served 33 years at HP from 1966 through 1999, rising from an entry-level engineer in the company's medical products group to serve seven years as president and chief executive officer. In 1993, he succeeded David Packard as chairman, a position he retained, along with the president and CEO titles, until his retirement. Widely admired for his personal energy, openness and humor, Mr. Platt successfully led HP during a period of rapid growth and technological change. Mark Hurd, HP president and chief executive officer, said: "Lew cared deeply for HP and its people, and his loss is being felt widely across our company. He was a natural leader who was enormously well liked and made an enduring impression on those he encountered. The way he treated people and how he ran the company set an exceptionally high standard of personal decency."