eBay’s New CFO a Dot-Com Vet

eBay named Robert Swan, a former dot-com executive, as its new chief financial officer.

Swan is leaving as CFO of Electronic Data Systems to take on the new role at eBay.

The 45-year-old Swan will assume the role of Rajiv Dutta, who is slated to take over as president of eBay’s voice over IP (VoIP) Skype division, which it purchased in a $2.6 billion cash and stock deal last September.

Swan is leaving EDS to become CFO for eBay by March 16 after he moves from EDS’ headquarters in Plano, Texas, to eBay’s San Jose, Calif., home base, eBay said in a public filing Tuesday.

Prior to his work with EDS, Swan was also executive vice president and CFO of TRW from July 2001 to December 2002.

His dot-com experience included executive positions with Webvan, the online grocer that went bankrupt in 2001.

Swan, who had served as CFO of Webvan, became CEO of the company chairman and CEO George Shaheen left for personal reasons in 2001.

Swan’s tenure as CFO at EDS came during a turbulent time for the computer services giant.

He was named to the CFO position in 2003 to replace Jim Daley, who moved to oversee EDS’ client care organizations.

Swan was faced with overseeing EDS’ financial turnaround after the company ran into trouble with key contracts following the bankruptcy of customers US Airways and WorldCom.