EMC CEO to step down by end 2012

Joe Tucci, CEO of EMC has said that he will step down from the role by the end of 2012.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Tucci said he will transition to the chairman role. Tucci would act as executive chairman for a two-year period, while the new CEO settles in to the position.

It is the same succession plan that was used when Tucci became CEO in 2001, when Michael Ruettgers shifted to the chairman task, and is part of EMC's corporate succession planning.

While the next CEO of EMC has not been revealed, the company has no shortage of possible candidates, with commentators pointing to Paul Maritz, CEO of VMware; EMC's cloud COO Howard Elias; CFO David Goulden; VCE president Frank Hauck and ex-Intel exec Pat Gelsinger, COO and president of EMC's Information Infrastructure products.