The Washington Post announced yesterday that Etsy is getting a new Chief Operating Officer, Maria Thomas, formerly NPR’s digital head.
Thomas was the head of digital for more than six years, and was responsible for NPR’s multiple forays into digital, including its early jump into podcasting and developing NPR’s online music efforts. Prior to joining NPR in 2001, Thomas spent three years at Amazon.com (NSDQ: AMZN), and played a key role in launching its camera and photo store.
This comes a month after former CEO Ken Stern left and a new interim CEO Dennis L. Haarsager took over. “It is about an opportunity for me, and not much to do with NPR,” she said. NPR will search for a replacement.
April 6th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Well I think it’s important to keep in mind that by hiring a COO they are taking RoKali out of the daily operations of the company. I think it’s his influence that mostly shows in the treatment of some members compared to others, and the seemingly widepsread disdain for anyone speaking anything but verbal reach-arounds.
She seems like asmart cookie, I imagine she’s prolly got google alerts set up for etsy mentions online as well as possibly already looking here for ‘more of hte story’.
April 6th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I guess they don’t plan to make a formal announcement until next month.
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5551869&page=19
“She starts work in a month, so until then we get to plan & wait.”
and get your resumes in order. LOL
April 6th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
Just an additional comment about the new company title, I would caution putting too much hope in one position or in one more personality. It is the constant imposition of personalities on Etsy that interfere with seller-(and some buyers) interactions, and it is also personalities and personal decisions that have made rules on the site “definite maybe’s”. Instead of providing a backseat, supportive role, seems to me like it’s more of “control and fit the mold, or be left out (and often intentionally and with malice).
Tens of thousands of stores, and their success at making consistent and increasing sales, with the support services THEY NEED is the key to survival. Not muting, punishing, closing, and retaliating. Oh, and how about real efforts to increase promo opps for ALL stores, not just the hand-picked favorites?!?
April 6th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
My only comment is that in the past, when there were new hires there was a rush to discuss in the storque. I don’t feel like everyone is so excited, since no official announcement has been made at all. Which is odd, because this sounds to me like a real coup for Etsy.
April 5th, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Rokali has finally commented on this:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=5551869&page=18
so.VERY.happy.
yep, I totally believe him.
April 4th, 2008 at 2:07 am
I currently work in a company that has a CEO and a VP of Operations. There are also VPs of Sales/Marketing/Product Development, and a CFO. These three are all equal. And I actually like the “extra layer” between me and the CEO. The VP of Operations is very personable, and I’ve been able to go to him with problems that really weren’t appropriate to bring to the CEO, but I had no where else to take them. So, yes, I think it all depends on how it is structured at a company.
I have a feeling that this COO is supposed to be whip-cracking and getting the other people into shape, so a much different dynamic.