Symantec Appoints New Chief Executive

Symantec Corp., maker of anti-virus and computer security software, named former IBM Corp. executive John W. Thompson its chief executive and president, replacing Gordon Eubanks, a software industry pioneer. Thompson, 49, was with IBM for almost three decades, most recently as general manager of its Americas unit. Last week, Eubanks resigned to become president and CEO of closely held software start-up Oblix Inc. Shares of Cupertino, Calif.-based Symantec, which have dropped 34% this year, rose $1.13 to close at $14.13 on Nasdaq.