Vallerie Parrish-Porter will continue as acting CIO Robert (Bob) Napier, executive vice president and chief information officer (CIO) of Hewlett-Packard Co., died Monday.Prior to HP’s merger with Compaq Computer Corp., Napier was CIO at Compaq, where he also had global responsibility for extending the company’s electronic commerce activities.Napier’s 25 years in senior IT management roles in global organizations were not all spent working for IT companies: Before joining Compaq, Napier was CIO for long-term health care provider Mariner Post-Acute Network Inc., and also for Delphi Automotive Systems, then a business unit of General Motors Corp., according to HP’s Web site. He has also held CIO positions at Lucent Technologies Inc., AT&T Corp.’s Global Business Communications Systems unit, and Lockheed Information Management Services Co. He began his technology career while serving in the U.S. Navy Submarine Service, according to HP. HP employees were informed of Napier’s death Tuesday in an e-mail from Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina.“I have had the privilege of knowing Bob for many years, both at Lucent Technologies and HP. Bob was one of those rare individuals who could both challenge and support, who was both tough and compassionate. He made us perform, he made us think, he made us laugh. I will miss him greatly, as I know we all will,” Fiorina wrote, according to a copy of the e-mail supplied by an HP representative.Napier is survived by his wife, Cheryl, daugher Kelly and sons Kevin and Brian. Vallerie Parrish-Porter, information officer at HP’s Personal Systems Group, will continue in her role as acting CIO, according to the HP representative. Technology Industry