Odds?
It'll be unusual...to pick a UK bod and not parachute in someone from over there..
Folk inside HP are placing bets on which exec will fill the boots soon to be vacated by UK boss Nick Wilson. Long-standing loyalists Andy Isherwood and Martin Hess are said to be the main contenders. The ink is still drying on HP UK managing director Wilson's new employment contract: he will be transferred to Australia where …
You know, Hess and Isherwood aren't the only internal candidates. There are lots of other (UK-based) executives that could be selected for this role. I'm guessing that it won't be either of your two suggestions, but perhaps somebody that only joined the company within the last couple of years. The person would bring relevant external experience while being already embedded within the challenging (new millennium) HP culture.