New members have been added to Hewlett-Packard’s executive board after the company signed on big guns from Microsoft and McDonalds in an attempt to dig itself out of a deepening pit.

Former Microsoft software chief Raymond Ozzie and former McDonald's Chief Executive James Skinner have been appointed by HP, as the struggling PC maker searches for a chairman and addresses top-level stumbles of past years.

HP has been trying to strengthen its board after years of calamitous leadership. Robert Bennett, former CEO of Liberty Media Corp has signed on too while the company announces it will continue searching for more directors. It is also looking for a permanent non-executive chairman to succeed Ralph Whitworth, who holds the position on an interim basis.

In 2012, HP had to take multibillion-dollar write-downs for its takeover of a competitor which enraged investors. It was the end of a tumultuous decade for the company that included the 2006 "pretexting" scandal, which led to the resignation of then-Chairwoman Patricia Dunn.

HP’s share prices were initially buoyed by the news, and up-to-date quote is available online.