Carly Fiorina, the former CEO of computer and printer maker Hewlett- Packard Co., has signed on as a contributor with Fox News’ soon-to- launch business news channel, the media company announced Tuesday.

Fiorina had a reputation as one of corporate America’s most divisive figures during nearly six years at Palo Alto-based HP. Her role at the new channel is not clear, but the new business channel is expected to officially launch next week.

“We are proud to have her join FBN as a contributor,” Kevin Magee, Fox News’ executive vice president, said in a statement. “Carly Fiorina is one of the foremost business leaders of our time.”

HP severed its ties with Fiorina in February 2005 amid complaints that her hard fought acquisition of Compaq Computer Corp. by HP wasn’t proving beneficial to the company.

Her firing netted Fiorina a severance package of more than $21 million and helped fuel the publication last year of her best-selling memoir, “Tough Choices.”

Fox News, an arm of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. media conglomerate, is looking to shake up the business news industry with the Fox Business Channel, slated to launch Oct. 15 in about 34 million homes as a competitor to CNBC, which is owned by General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal unit.