Liebl Joins Cipher Data as President

Just four months after assuming the No. 2 position in McDonnell Douglas’ $1.2-billion information systems division in Irvine, Gary Liebl has jumped to Cipher Data Products Inc. in San Diego as president, chief operating officer and a director.

“Running a small public company has advantages over running a division of a very large public company,” Liebl explained Friday, his first day on the job at Cipher, a manufacturer of magnetic tape devices for computers. “You have a better visibility in the industry and the pace, excitement and challenge is more intense than in an organization that’s 10% of the total.”

Liebl, 43, said his decision to leave McDonnell Douglas, where he was one of three architects of its move into computer and communication services, was difficult and did not reflect any disenchantment with McDonnell’s strategy or performance.

John F. McDonnell, president of McDonnell Douglas said: “We hate to lose a man of Gary Liebl’s capability and stature in the industry. However, the move is a great opportunity for both Cipher and Gary . . . “

Liebl replaces Charles Mathews, who resigned Cipher’s presidency in April because of differences in management style with company Chairman and Chief Executive Don M. Muller.

Liebl joined Microdata, an Irvine computer manufacturer, in 1977 and became its president in 1979, the year McDonnell Douglas bought the company in its first foray into the computer industry. He left the company’s presidency last June to become group operating officer of McDonnell’s Information Systems Group, a $1.2-billion, 11-business unit with 12,000 employees.