Cook Named President of Paperback Software

Loss-ridden Paperback Software International has promoted 28-year-old Steven Cook to the post of president and chief operating officer in a shake-up that included the departure of three key executives.

Adam Osborne, the 49-year-old portable computer pioneer who founded Paperback in 1983 after his Osborne Computer Co. failed, relinquished the posts Cook assumed but will remain chairman and chief executive.

“Adam is giving the day-to-day duties over to Steve Cook,” said Paperback marketing manager Michael Burdick. Cook is a longtime associate of Osborne’s who most recently served as vice president for acquisitions and product development of Paperback.

The officers who departed are Ron Ogg, executive vice president-sales and marketing; Marilyn Johnson, vice president-finance, and Jamie Green, vice president-operations. They left “by mutual agreement,” Burdick said.

Succeeding Johnson as vice president-finance is Robert Neumann, who joined Paperback in March and has held financial positions at several local companies. Paperback is based in Berkeley and employs about 30 people.

The software publisher lost $93,000 on revenue of $1.3 million in the first quarter. In 1987, Paperback lost $354,000 on revenue of $1.3 million.

Cook said the reorganization was designed to bolster operating efficiency and to allow the company to focus on its more expensive products.