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Mark Kern removed as CEO of Red 5 Studios [Updated]
According to a recent report from Gamefront, Red 5 Studios CEO Mark Kern has been terminated by the company's board of directors, effective immediately. Vice President of Development James Macauly has apparently sent an email to all employees informing them of the change in leadership, with this latest dismissal coming in the wake of several previous layoffs at the Firefall studio. No official statement has been issued to the public by the company at this time. An anonymous source within the company has also spoken out against Kern in The Escapist, claiming that the CEO was frequently absent and arrived sporadically to hand down arbitrary decisions. How true these statements are cannot be confirmed, although the company does hold a low rating for employee satisfaction overall. We'll have more on the situation if and when a statement is issued regarding Kern's continued employment or lack thereof. [Update: Red 5 Producer Matt DeWald has issued a formal statement on the now-confirmed rumors: "As of Thursday, December 19th, Mark Kern is no longer the Chief Executive Officer of Red 5 Studios. Mark founded Red 5 Studios in 2006 to provide exceptional game entertainment along with a world-class team of developers working on the MMO Shooter, Firefall. Red 5 Vice President of Development, James Macauley, will be moving into the role of acting CEO. The team at Red 5 continues work on Firefall and looks forward to all that we have to offer in 2014."]
Microsoft will have a new CEO 'in the early part of 2014'
With roughly nine months to go until Microsoft's unforgettably demonstrative CEO Steve Ballmer steps down, the hunt is on for his replacement. Will it be incoming Nokia CEO Stephen Elop? Maybe Ford's Alan Mullaly? No one outside of Microsoft's board of directors knows for sure, but it apparently won't be too long before we find out. "I expect we'll complete our work in the early part of 2014," board chair John W. Thompson wrote on Microsoft's blog. Thompson said he and his colleagues have whittled down the list from "over 100 possible candidates" to "a group of about 20 individuals" (presumably including the aforementioned exec duo). He sadly didn't offer much insight into the discussions, which we can only guess involved both a very large dart board and (at least) a few bottles of carbonated mineral water.
Acer's next CEO steps down before even starting, as retired founder takes over
It's all change at Acer at the moment. Just 15 days after CEO and Chairman JT Wang stepped down, the man set to replace him, Jim Wong, has also left the business. The changes come after Acer posted a huge loss and wrote-off value from sub-brands Gateway and Packard Bell, apparently sealing the fate of the executives. In the wake of the news, founder Stan Shih will come out of retirement and assume the role of chairman and interim president "without salary," with co-founder George Huang joining the new-look old-school management team. Following today's reshuffle, Shih will have to make day-to-day decisions for the company. While Wang and Wong may have taken the blame for Acer's recent poor performance, both will hang around "to ensure a smooth transition."
Insiders say Elop could sell off Xbox and cancel Bing if he became Microsoft CEO
Bloomberg has spoken to three anonymous sources who claim to have knowledge of Stephen Elop's current mindset, and who say he'd consider making some radical moves if he become Microsoft's CEO. Now, bearing in mind there could be some seriously heavy axes being ground here, the details of what Elop might "consider" doing at Microsoft look almost designed to stir a fuss among investors and customers alike. For a start, the former Nokia CEO (and cost-slasher) would apparently contemplate selling off Microsoft's high-profile Xbox division, if he deemed the department to be less than critical to the company's overall strategy. Instead, the story goes, he'd focus the software giant's efforts on products and services related to its Office applications. Somewhat less scandalously, he'd allegedly also contemplate cancelling Bing. Some analysts have previously put forward the idea of dropping Xbox and Bing in order to raise Microsoft's profits in the short term, so these ideas haven't come out of nowhere, but they still seem slightly premature for a man who's only just got himself on the CEO shortlist.
Reuters: Stephen Elop and Ford's Alan Mulally make Microsoft CEO shortlist
While it's known that Stephen Elop of Nokia fame is being eyed by Microsoft to replace Steve Ballmer as CEO, and rumored that Ford CEO Alan Mulally is also a contender, it appears that both candidates are gaining steam. According to Reuters sources familiar with the matter, the company has narrowed its list of external candidates down to roughly five people, and the pair have made the cut. It's also said that a trio of internal folks are being considered, which includes former Skype honcho Tony Bates and enterprise head Satya Nadella. Although the pool of hopefuls has been pared down, the outlet's sources note that choosing that next chief could still take a few months. Considering Ballmer is happy to hang around Redmond for a while, don't expect the regime change to happen overnight.
Apples to BlackBerrys: John Sculley reportedly considering bid for failing phone maker
For anyone who has followed Apple's history, John Sculley is a familiar figure. He was the CEO who famously ousted Steve Jobs from the company he co-founded in 1985; he championed the ill-fated Newton; and he eventually left Apple as its profits turned to losses in 1993. Yesterday afternoon, The Globe and Mail published a report that has the potential to change that legacy. According to the piece by Steven Chase and Iain Marlow, the man who fired Steve Jobs is considering a bid for BlackBerry.
Al Gore praises Tim Cook as 'a fantastic CEO'
Tim Cook already has plenty of fans, but just in case you were wondering, we can add former US Vice President Al Gore to the list as well. Speaking with Bloomberg, the almost-43rd-President of the United States called Apple's head honcho "a fantastic CEO." This should come as little surprise, given that Gore is indeed seated on Apple's board of directors, but it's a nice pat on the back in the midst of the utterly absurd "the sky is falling on Apple" mania. "Can you imagine trying to follow Steve Jobs?" Gore continued. "Well, Tim's done it, and he's done it in his own unique way. Next week, there's yet another announcement from Apple. I invite people to tune in for that. They're really hitting on all cylinders." Gore, of course, was referring to the October 22 event in which it is expected that Apple will reveal the next devices in the iPad line... and maybe even something you aren't expecting.
Hulu officially announces its new CEO, former Fox exec Mike Hopkins
Hulu has had a tumultuous 2013, as it lost founding CEO Jason Kilar in January, then went through the sale process, again, before sticking with its original owners, again. Confirming last week's rumors from Bloomberg and Reuters, the new CEO is Mike Hopkins, most recently head of distribution for Fox. He replaces acting CEO Andy Forssell, who took the wheel in March after Kilar's departure. In his introductory letter to the team, Hopkins mentioned Hulu expects "close to a billion dollars" in revenue this year, along with a rising number of Hulu Plus subscribers. Part-owners Disney and News Corp (Comcast retains a stake after its purchase of NBC Universal, but can't vote) reportedly disagreed on the site's future, with Disney preferring an advertising-based approach. Appointing Hopkins as the new leader suggests News Corp's reported focus on subscriptions is taking priority, and there's speculation that Hulu will become more deeply involved in TV Everywhere authenticated viewing based on cable and satellite TV subscriptions. Hulu has long pitched itself as complementary to cable, we'll see if its apps end up looking more like the BTN2GO and Fox Now apps that Hopkins' team at Fox worked on.
Activision Blizzard now free from Vivendi
Back in July, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick led a charge to buy the company back from parent company Vivendi. After a few bumps in the road, the share buyback is complete and Activision Blizzard is now (mostly) free of Vivendi. $5.83 billion of stock is owned by Activision Blizzard, while Kotick and his partners hold on to $2.34 billion. Vivendi's not completely out of the loop yet, but its shares have been cut down to 12%. After five years under Vivendi's wing, Kotick says he is excited to "get back to focusing on making great games," according to a recent interview with Bloomberg.
EA CEO Wilson puts Gibeau in charge of mobile, Soderlund on sports
Andrew Wilson has made his first big move as CEO of EA, re-establishing managerial roles and clarifying that all senior staff now report to him directly, an internal memo hosted on GamesBeat reveals. Frank Gibeau, formerly president of EA Labels, is now in charge of EA Mobile. Patrick Soderlund is still executive VP of EA Games Label, but he's now also head of EA Sports, the role that Wilson left to take over as CEO. Peter Moore remains brand president and Lucy Bradshaw keeps her role as head of EA Maxis, the developer of SimCity. Rajat Tenaja is still Chief Technology Officer, Blake Jorgensen is still Chief Financial Officer, Joel Linzner is still senior VP of legal and business affairs, and Gabrielle Toledano remains executive VP of HR. "Our priorities right now are simple – we must deliver on our FY14 plan, continue the transformation of our organization for our digital future, create amazing games and services, have a ruthless focus and execute," Wilson writes. "I will work closely with my senior management team to help drive these priorities through the organization. Each of these leaders will report directly to me in their roles."
EA Sports, Origin head Andrew Wilson named new Electronic Arts CEO
Following the resignation of CEO Job Riccitiello back in March, Electronic Arts has announced that the head of EA Sports, Andrew Wilson, has been named as the successor. Wilson also served as an executive producer of the FIFA franchise and EVP of Origin. Chairman of the Board and former CEO Larry Probst led the company during the search that ultimately ended up hiring from within. In a blog post, Wilson committed to delivering the outfit's 2014 fiscal year goals with focus on "continued transformation for our digital future, delivering amazing games and services across platforms and instilling a culture of execution that will drive profitable growth." The new chief has little time to settle in though, as the next-gen console launches are just two months away.
EA's new CEO is Andrew Wilson
Former EA Sports Executive Vice President Andrew Wilson is now CEO of EA, following John Riccitiello's resignation in March. "In the short term, our mission is crystal clear: We are 100 percent focused on delivering our FY14 business plan," Wilson writes. "We have made strong progress in the first half of the fiscal year, establishing financial discipline and continuing to create a slate of fantastic games for current and next-generation consoles, mobile and PC. But now we've got to finish the job – execute in Q3 and Q4 and deliver on the promises we made to our fans and our shareholders." Wilson lists three areas he'll focus on as CEO of EA: "continued transformation for our digital future, delivering amazing games and services across platforms, and Instilling a culture of execution that will drive profitable growth." As CEO, Wilson's base salary is $800,000, with a target bonus of 150 percent of that base amount. He has an option to purchase 1 million shares of common stock in EA. As CEO in 2011, Riccitiello's base salary was also $800,000. Interim CEO Larry Probst received a $1.03 million salary during EA's leadership downtime this year. Wilson has been with EA since 2000. He recently held the spotlight at the Xbox One event in May to announce Microsoft's "special relationship" with EA Sports.
Rogers hires Vodafone UK chief Guy Laurence as CEO
Rogers' patience in finding a replacement CEO has paid off in spades. The Canadian telecom giant has just confirmed that Guy Laurence, Vodafone UK's current chief executive, will be its new leader as of December 2nd. The hire gives Rogers a CEO who's not only well-versed in mobile and media services, but has a reputation as a reformer -- he shook up Vodafone UK's corporate culture shortly after taking the reins in 2008. While it's not certain that he'll repeat history at Rogers, we wouldn't expect him to maintain the status quo for very long.
Nokia CEO Stephen Elop stepping down ahead of transition to Microsoft
Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia's Devices & Services business has more implications for Nokia than you might suspect at first glance. In the wake of the deal, CEO Stephen Elop is stepping down to become the Executive VP of Devices & Services, and should join Microsoft once the acquisition closes. The shift in rank should minimize any perceived conflict of interest during Elop's transition, Nokia says. Chairman of the Board Risto Siilasmaa will assume an interim CEO position while the company looks for a permanent replacement for Elop. Meanwhile, key Nokia executives Jo Harlow, Chris Weber, Juha Putkiranta and Timo Toikkanen are also expected to follow Elop to Microsoft; Executive VP of Design Marko Ahtisaari plans to step down on November 1st, and will leave the company on November 30th to once more become an entrepreneur. All told, Microsoft is getting several of the cellphone industry's better-known leaders in one shot -- and Nokia's remaining leadership will be mostly unrecognizable to long-term fans.
Lenovo CEO shares $3.25 million of his bonus with employees (again) after record year
After helping Lenovo thrive in the wretched PC industry -- while also making it the number one Chinese smartphone maker -- CEO Yang Yuanqing earned a sizeable bonus. And like last year, he's sharing the wealth with front-line employees, giving $3.25 million of his $14.6 million salary to 10,000 workers in 20 countries. Lenovo grabbed a record $34 billion during its last fiscal year, along with an all-time high $653 million in profit. While the sum he shared may be small compared to that, it's almost a month's pay for the 85 percent who work in China. And we can't say we've seen too many CEOs stateside willing to part with their personal private jet fuel stash.
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer retiring within a year
Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will retire from his position at some point during the next 12 months, the company announced this morning. The timing of Ballmer's departure is dependent on the process of finding his replacement, which is currently ongoing. In the meantime, Ballmer will continue his duties as usual. The search for Ballmer's replacement is being helmed by a special committee, which includes Chuck Noski, Stephen Luczo and good ol' Billy Gates. The committee is considering applicants from both inside and outside the company, which means that now is the perfect time to submit your resume. Microsoft's press release didn't give exact requirements for the position, but Ballmer graduated magna cum laude from Harvard so we're going to guess that at least some college is required. It also probably helps if you're familiar with Excel.
Barnes & Noble CEO William Lynch steps down; Michael Huseby appointed CEO of Nook Media
Following reports earlier this year that Barnes & Noble may be sliding away from producing its own Nook hardware, the outfit's CEO has just stepped away from his corner office. Announced in a series of shuffles, William Lynch has resigned as chief executive officer and director of the company effective immediately, while Michael P. Huseby has been appointed CEO of the Nook Media division (as well as president of B&N as a whole). The firm also announced that vice president Allen Lindstrom was being subsequently promoted to CFO, reporting to Huseby. Moreover, Kanuj Malhotra -- VP of corporate development, has been promoted to CFO of Nook Media. Chairman Leonard Riggio thanked Lynch for his leadership during an era where B&N emerged as a real rival to Amazon in the reader / tablet market, while the man himself said that he "appreciated the opportunity to serve as CEO over the last three years." As for his immediate plans? Kicking back on the shores of Ocracoke and reading a book... on a Nook, of course.
Apple recruits Yves Saint Laurent CEO for VP position focusing on 'special projects'
Paul Deneve, former CEO of fashion outfit Yves Saint Laurent, has joined Apple's top ranks as a vice president. Cupertino says he'll report directly to Tim Cook and will work on "special projects," but there's no word on exactly what he'll be responsible for. While there's no sure-fire way of telling what Deneve will be up to, his experience in fashion and retail brings a few possibilities to mind. Namely, heading up Apple's retail efforts or lending his design chops to wearable computing projects and hardware development in general. It'll likely be a while before we see the fruits of Deneve's labor with his new employer, but now you'll know who to thank if Apple's gadgets receive an extra dose of je ne sais quoi.
Ex-Xbox chief Don Mattrick lands at Zynga, officially (update: comments from Ballmer and Mattrick)
We just got the news that ex-head of Xbox, Don Mattrick, was out at Microsoft, and now we know where he's going: Zynga. AllThingsD reports that Mattrick is officially the new CEO of the casual social gaming firm, and Mark Pincus, the current CEO, is stepping down from that position to make room for Mattrick's arrival. Fear not for Pincus, however, as the founder of Zynga will maintain a role at the company as chairman and chief product officer. Naturally, Zynga's thrilled with the hire, though we're still awaiting word from Redmond on the matter. You can get Pincus' take on Mattrick at the source below. Update: Steve Ballmer has posted a memo about Mattrick's departure, calling it "a great opportunity for Don" and thanking him for his hard work at Microsoft. Update 2: AllThingsD has Mattrick's first letter to Zynga's employees, in which he states the "mission to connect the world through games is just getting started."
BT CEO Ian Livingston to leave in September, accept government role
The CEO position is usually the last rung on the career ladder -- after that, it's either retirement or a less-than-graceful ouster. It's not the end for BT CEO Ian Livingston, however, as he's moving to the even bigger leagues of government. The executive will step down in September to accept a role as the UK's Minister of State for Trade and Investment. The company's current head of retail, Gavin Patterson, will take the reins from that point on. Livingston leaves BT mostly better off than when he took the lead in 2008: questionable patent lawsuits notwithstanding, the telecom giant has been forward-thinking with its plans for ultra-fast fiber and LTE service. Let's just hope that Patterson can deal with fiercer competition.
