Good Luck and hope the lucky person buys in and takes the pressure off on many levels.

Wow

Glenn will be a tough act to follow!

I wish him well in whatever he has moved on to do. I wish you and Penny well in your search for a replacement.

Blessings, Light, Love and Peace

Nic

---

Connect - Engage - Share

www.nic-oliver.com email twitter linkedin

Thank you Mike your words are empathetic and accurate. Appreciated. Tx

You are very right Nic. He is indeed. His departure was a tearful day for Penny and I.

Hmm... comments about stepping into big shoes come to mind

Hope you find the right person Thomas.

---

Simon West
Nett Sales LLP
"Removing the pain of poor sales performance, generating new clients, retaining existing customers, relieving the stress of poor business performance."
www.nett-sales.com

Wishing you the person you would wish yourselves. As everybody else has said ......a tough act to follow.

---

Kind Regards

Steve Hall

Follow my CYCLE journey through England (and beyond!) to raise awareness of the world´s 45 million refugees. Please visit:www.theshirt2010.co.uk

If you can't find the right long term person, I'm available ad interim

Warmest regards,

Paul

---

It is, indeed, sad to see Glenn go but, Ecademy still has the prospects of an extraordinary future ahead so, in support of your announcement, I'm sharing this with my networks...

---

Keep STRONG!
Vincent Wright
Brandergist
Twitter.com/VincentWright | Linkedin.com/in/VincentWright |
Ning Brandergy | Brandergy.com | Facebook Brandergy |
| Linkedin Brandergy |

Yup dead right Simon and us too.

Thank you so much Steve. I am sorry Ecademy has lost your attention.

Thank you Vincent.

Thank you Paul and thank you for the RT.

Thomas,

What you need is a mixture of Steve Jobs, Rockefeller and Mother Theresa!

Please remember the following hints whilst looking for your new Glenn:

Do NOT hire somebody because you like him or her
Do NOT hire someone because you can afford him or her!
Do NOT hire someone Who claims to be the best invention since sliced bread!

Look for a person who is brilliant in fields where you and Penny fall short!
Look for someone Who is happy to fight with you and Penny like cats and dogs if need be for the proper cause! (the wellbeing of Ecademy and all its stakeholders)
Look for somebody who has the guts to explore new avenues even if that feels awkward. No guts no glory!
When you pay them peanuts, you get monkeys, so be prepaired to pay through the nose for the best possible person! If he is realy good, you can afford more than you think!
Look for a person that can speak more than one language!!

And look for someone who resembles a turtle! He or she will get hammered all the time!
Also remember to tell him or her to be willing to live like a microbe! In this role this person will have to eat lot of ****!

However despite all this, I think this is a great opportunity for the right person to crap the chance of a lifetime!

Best of luck on your search for the right person! and remember, I'm never more than a phonecall or email away!

Cheers

Fred

---

Fred Rutgers
www.isotechniek.nl
fred.rutgers@isotechniek.nl
+31649436436
Also check out my details on linkedin and xing

P.S. let's get connected!
If there is anything I can do for you, Just ask!

Profound and accurate Fred thank you. Tx

Well this a great opportunity for someone....whoever gets it needs to be their own person and not try and emulate Glenn

Good Luck!

Baiju

---

Baiju Solanki
Performance Coach
baiju@baijusolanki.com
www.baijusolanki.com
07968 533918


By TwitterButtons.com

Thank you everyone for the likes and the tweets. You folks are fast. Really fast.

Correct Baiju.

Good luck in the search, hopefully the right person will find you, bring brilliant results and make a huge difference.

---

Find Out What Most Small Business Owners Don't Know…And Will Never Know…About The Secrets Of Doubling Your Sales In 12 Months Or Less…Even In A Bad Economy
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Business Coaching - Free strategy consulation www.youcanachieveit.co.uk

What a fascinating opportunity, Thomas & Penny!
The three of you have achieved so much being at the forefront of social media and online networking - looking forward to an exciting future.

Great success to you all.

---

Best wishes,
Vinden & Eve
Vinden Grace MSc BSc (Hons) M IoD F IDM
Quantum Coaching & Consulting: Qualified Personal & Business Coaches
Online Business start-up advisers. Experienced Internet Marketers.

Thank you so much for your kind words Vinden.

That's the hope John and thank you for the RT.

Hi to Fred and all the others,

this is true and indeed a very professional way of thinking. Greetings Ralf

Ever since I have joined this network has seen enormous developments by improving day by day with new additions, But here comes a big deduction since 1998, Best of Luck to GLEN, Thomas and Penny Good luck in the search.

Regards,
Sanjay
Product Management Head,
Eveready Industries India.

indeed Thomas, it was a tearfull day, but we think positive.
As Fred already said, don't take the first person and i believe that the multilanguage is a must.
mybe, a foreigner as CEO....?
However, in the meantime, i take my responsabilities in the Ecademy Team so you and Penny could to a proper search.
I'm just a call away for other support
Grtz
Peter

Come on Thomas, no mention of what their Klout score must be ?

Tony

I would like it to be 50+ Tony.

Thank you Peter you do fine job in Support. Penny and I appreciate you very much. Tx

assume you do not mean the age
otherwise I would qualify )

---

take care

John Jeckmans BSc, MBA, AInstIB, ECInstIB

TripleCo
P.O. Box 31, NL-7570 AA Oldenzaal
phone : +31 (0)541 539399
mobile: +31 (0)642 592458
web: www.tripleco.nl
e-mail: john.jeckmans@tripleco.nl
or : johnjeckmans@iib.ws

"Bringing ease in transformational changes by creating space!"

You more than qualify John.

I nominate Lucas Wirsch
Tons of experience in many fields in the online world



Cornelis de Maijer
#farmerszen #teamzen

Interesting.

Seconded if we mean the same Wyrsch. He'll show you the way to enter the Chinese market.

Wow two recommendations for Lucas.

@ What you need is a mixture of Steve Jobs, Rockefeller and Mother Theresa!

The real Steve Holmes it is then!

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John A Murray

I don't see anyone here in the UK upto this tough Role, Thomas ...

But from the positive input & ideas he has been putting forward in the 4.5 yrs I have been here, I would also say Lucas would make a great CEO, imho ! Very Knowledgeable, Very Supportive !
Would take a true Euro / Global Ecademy Platform into the next level.
Worth an intensive Interview, I'd say ?

Unless of course,
the new Person has to be a UK Foundation & Life Member,

living in Adam Street ?

Milton Rodrigues
Mr. Cricket.

Both Penny and I are quite keen on a non-member outside the UK as they will have a completely fresh view Milton.

And we are open to all comers inside or outside the community.

Thomas,

You have well described your requirements about this person. It would be also helpful to describe the job and the environment into which he/she should work.

Regards,
Strashimir

Broad and rare skills indeed, Thomas, and a tough act to follow.
The stuff of a living, walking, classical Chief Executive

Dave Clarke

The applicant will no doubt be a very unique individual... any chance I could send Robert Mugabe across for an interview...

---

With a passion as warm as the rising African Sun
Andrew trades at Empire Avenue - come join me there!
He also blogs at South of the Africa Equator
Of course Andrew does Twitter a bit - Follow @zimbandrew
LinkedIn: Andrew Field - link up there too
Harare, Zimbabwe

Dear Thomas and Penny,

Wishing the very best of luck in finding your new CEO.

Yours to serve in love and light.

Owen

If you are serious about recruiting a CEO you should approach an Executive Search firm and give them the job of finding one for you. The cost would be in the region of 30% of the package.

I can suggest a few firms to talk to including one or two Ecademy members if you wanted.

---

Roger V

Recruit12
"Sharing the risk of recruiting"

Sounds like a great, if tough job!

---

Motivating Mum aims to support and advise mums in business and those who are thinking of starting up. You can get a tour of the site, plus regular news, hints,tips, events and competitions by signing up for our newsletter here

Tom, I love the idea of a Chief Innovation Officer!

Thomas, you and Penny are sure to attract a highly talented individual before long. Yes, of course it is a sad moment, saying goodbye to such a great guy as Glenn, but the opportunity for growth always comes from change.

I will be looking out for the right person. On the investment front no doubt you will have come across Crowdcube? A perfect fit I should say!

love to you both and always here for you should you need anything at all...

---

Sue Richardson
be seen • be heard • be noticed

Hi Thomas

Glen will be missed - but I am sure he will not be a stranger.

Good luck with the search for the new CEO it's a big ask but I am sure the right person will come along.

Mick

---

Hey Thomas,

Posted it twitter,facebook,digg,stumbleupon,frindsfeed etc.

Best Wishes
Pratyush

---

Great advice, Fred!

Good luck Thomas and Penny.

All of us members wish you well as you begin a new chapter in the continuing evolution of Ecademy

Best regards,

Bob Jones

---

Robert C. Jones

Make today the longest day of our lives!

Grand Luxxe Villa - The Symbol of Luxury

We all work from home and on the move Strashimir. Ecademy has no office.

Good luck Thomas. Not sure where you would start with this. My immediate inclination might be to pitch it to Peter Jones. He would give financial backing and maybe be CEO, or a director. Or perhaps get one of the apprentices when they are thrown off Alan Sugar's program. Glenn will be a sad loss though and a tough act to follow. Good luck though

Regards

Gordon

Hi Tom,

Just a note to let you know that your Chief Innovation Officer link isn't connecting.

Warm regards
Joy

Thomas,

I wish you the best of success in your search. I have tweeted this for you.

Sally

---

____________________________________________________


Bruce and Sally Witt
Ameriplan USA Team
Tel: 215-550-4388
bruce@122walnut.com | www.122walnut.com

Do you want to have a good income PT/FT at home?
Would you like to have huge discounts on Medical, Dental, Vision, and other goods and services?

or someone who will be paid?

---

Tim O'Donnell
www.odas.it www.englishinengland.it www.englishinitaly.it

Thanks Joy - seems like FT needs you to register

Here's the raw link but hope the point was made

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e2f1a3c6-2a2d-11e0-997c-00144feab49a.html#axzz1O2J9Atws

Having had the privilege of working with Glenn, TP and Penny for over three years when I was on the "management" I saw for myself the critical skill Glenn possessed and the appropriate management skills he employed when he had to upon us all !!
His ability to absolutely nail the technical challenges with the ever brilliant Julian Bond and have the vision to balance this with the business needs was something to observe and marvel at.
His absence will have a major impact on the business moving forward and leave a void very difficult to fill.

The business TP, needs a different approach and the answer isn't in trying to find another Glenn; there isn't one; not if you take into consideration the need to intuitively understand the culture, the ethos and the membership as Glenn did whilst also managing the technical development and commercial direction with some of your input also.

I suggest you certainly need two people with different but complimentary skills to one another and to the existing directors in you, Penny and Julian.
One of them certainly needs a technical understanding and who can work well with Julian with a broad understanding of other social and business platforms but is up to date with latest ideas.
The other might be very strong on the commercial development to generate a broader range of income streams rather than being too dependant on a few and in particular Blackstar.

With you, Penny and Julian intimately aware and familiar with the culture and ethos of Ecademy some new blood with progressive ideas will enhance and diversify the management and potentially benefit the offering to the membership.
If you get this combination of abilities right, you can end up with a stronger and better management though a little magic wouldn't go amiss as we all know just how special Glenn is.

Don't rush; bide your time well. Be inspired and the right person(s) will reveal themselves.

---

best wishes,
Andrew Widgery

Chairman of Surrey Ecademy

---

I can't see any evidence of the need for anyone to fill such a post. I can't even begin to imagine what such a person might do. What is Ecademy, after all? Some slow-moving technology, a personality cult for the Powers and a few wanna-be's. a bit of advertising and a substantial but diminishing community of enthusiasts.

Ecademy should cut its cloth according to its means and if money must be spent spend it on much better IT rather than honorary titles and recruitment trips to Australia.

Anyone who can actually explain to me what the weekly workload of the following people actually is, I shall be most grateful:

Thomas, Penny, Julian, "the CEO", William, anyone else nibbling at the pie...

I very much doubt that any of them do what I used to call work when I did 10 hours a day, 6 days a week at the customer interface.

---

YOU DON'T KNOW ME -- YOU PROBABLY DON'T LIKE ME
I DO NOT WANT YOU FOLLOWING ME

---

I may invite you here if your "blogs" are interesting enough:
New forum here.

---

Kindly accept me also in your list.

mohamedkhadargani@gmail.com

Dear Thomas, dear Ecademists,

Thank you so much for having mentioned me as possible candidate!

Lets discuss my visions for Ecademy!

I certainly would try to create a strong alliance with some Chinese partners because I have strong ties to China and think that we can generate great opportunities there!

I also would set up an Ecademy corporate social media consultancy with ecademists who have strong experience in social media and who could, as consultants, sell advice to corporates!

This would require some partnerships with big consultancy firms like PwC, Capgemini, Accenture, etc.

And I would try to list Ecademy on the NASDAQ, not a European stock exchange and not an Asian one, but the US NASDAQ because I believe that the tech reputation on NASDAQ is best to evolve in a great way!

My focus would be open, random and supportive!

It would be a great challenge!

- Lucas

Join The Swiss Business Club - Join the GuanXi Game Club - Join the Risk Consulting Club - And Join Doing Business Virtually!

It is most likely that ecademy would profit and prosper with Lucas Wyrsch.

My rational reasons are:

• Gentleman( even in point of british View)


• Cosmopolite


• Expert in new global economics with a wide of knowledge ( China, India; Turkey and...)


• Righteous, patiently, communicative, informative, respected


• Last but not least it is also very convenient that he speaks perfect german.

Regards

Tedora

---

All the best with finding the right person.

Valerie

Yes, I agree, that maybe two people might work for you, one technical one much more savvy on running a company with the spirit you desire.
Good luck.
carole

Dear Thomas,

According to the Microsoft-Facebook deal, each Facebook user had a value of US$300.- in September 2007!

If I use this value, Ecademy actually is worth US$200 million!

Ecademy can use a maximum authorized share capital of one billion (where 800 million are not yet counted in as user assets)

My suggestion regarding NASDAQ is that Ecademy should follow the Chinese Internet firms like Sohu, NetEase, Sina, Baidu, etc. and get listed in the US at a maximum authorized capital of one billion US dollars, divided into 200 million shares at US$5.- per share!

You and Penny could be offered up to 60% !

Black Stars, perhaps also the Power Networker who have paid up to now should be offered 10% of shares for free!

After Ecademy will start to sell shares at US$5.00 per share to investors!

Why 10%?
Why US$5.00?

Because we need to do so according to regulations!

http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/121.asp

Listing Requirements for All Companies

Each company must have a minimum of 1,250,000 publicly-traded shares upon listing, excluding those held by officers, directors or any beneficial owners of more then 10% of the company. In addition, the minimum bid price at time of listing must be greater than five dollars, and there must be at least three market makers for the stock. Each listing firm is also required to follow Nasdaq corporate governance rules 4350, 4351 and 4360. Companies must also have at least 450 round lot (100 shares) shareholders, 2,200 total shareholders, or 550 total shareholders with 1.1 million average trading volume over the past 12 months.

In addition to these requirements, companies must meet all of the criteria under at least one of the following standards.

Listing Standard No. 1

The company must have aggregate pre-tax earnings in the prior three years of at least $11 million, in the prior two years at least $2.2 million, and no one year in the prior three years can have a net loss.

Listing Standard No. 2

The company must have a minimum aggregate cash flow of at least $27.5 million for the past three fiscal years, with no negative cash flow in any of those three years. In addition, its average market capitalization over the prior 12 months must be at least $550 million, and revenues in the previous fiscal year must be $110 million, minimum.

Listing Standard No. 3

Companies can be removed from the cash flow requirement of Standard No. 2 if the average market capitalization over the past 12 months is at least $850 million, and revenues over the prior fiscal year are at least $90 million.

A company has three ways to get listed on the Nasdaq, depending on the underlying fundamentals of the company. If a company does not meet certain criteria, such as the operating income minimum, it has to make it up with larger minimum amounts in another area like revenue. This helps to improve the quality of companies listed on the exchange.

It doesn't end there. After a company gets listed on the market, it must maintain certain standards to continue trading. Failure to meet the specifications set out by the stock exchange will result in itsdelisting. Falling below the minimum required share price, or market capitalization, is one of the major factors triggering a delisting. Again, the exact details of delisting depend on the exchange.

Ecademy would need between three to seven years to get listed on the NASDAQ but could already get listed on secondary exchanges like Facebook!

This would roughly be the financial component that would generate a first round of revenues on the not yet used lot of 30% shares!

People who got shares for free would only be allowed to sell them six months after Ecademy's IPO!

Ecademy could so generate with the 30% still free shares, e.g. 60 million shares a revenue that starts at US$5.00 per share and generate so more or at least US$300 million or more pre-IPO.

Ecademy would have to validate the idea by expert lawyers and bankers!

This would be the basic fundamental financial tool I would add as potential CEO!

Regarding China and corporate social media consulting, I will develop later!

Have a great and prosperous time!

Best

- Lucas

Join The Swiss Business Club - Join the GuanXi Game Club - Join the Risk Consulting Club - And Join Doing Business Virtually!

Glenn made a huge contribution as the "red" part of your team that balanced Penny's founding vision and Thomas's execution of the dream. No doubt the executive team will miss Glenn whose decision to move on after 13 yeears would not have been an easy one. Good luck Glenn.

@ Black Stars, perhaps also the Power Networker who have paid up to now should be offered 10% of shares for free

Free upgrades to BS and now free shares too? Wow!

---

John A Murray

Lucas deserves serious consideration.

---

Dear John,

Thank you so much for your contribution!

My hypothesis is that only members who have paid for their upgrades would be entitled to get free shares!

A total of 10% would be offered to existing members!

Ecademy would immediately have at least 600 shareholders and be SEC compliant regarding this requirement.

My goal would be to generate between 6 million and 10 million new users within the next three to seven years!

Ecademy, as a business social media network, would get an evaluation of US$1.8 billion for 6million users to US$3 billion for 10 million users!

The theoretic share price with 6 million users would be around US$18.00 and with 10 million users around US$30.00

Each share would have an initial face value of US$5.00!

All member who got shares for free would have to sign that they won't sell them before 6 months after Ecademy's IPO.

Ecademy would invest the money levied from additional shareholder, above the offered 10%, for minority stakes in Internet and social media firms, consultancy companies and other tech related ventures!

Free upgrades to BS wouldn't get any free shares!

But as I mentioned, these are my suggestions how I would organize the crowd-funding process without the need of venture capital firms!

Why would I offer 10% shares for free?

Because I think that this would be a great incentive, besides the EAP, to generate between 6 million and 10 million new users!

I think that Ecademy should only start thinking about an IPO with at least 6 million users, roughly ten times more than the actual total number of members!

Have a great and prosperous time!

Best

Lucas

- Lucas

Join The Swiss Business Club - Join the GuanXi Game Club - Join the Risk Consulting Club - And Join Doing Business Virtually!

Hi Lucas

Re: My goal would be to generate between 6 million and 10 million new users within the next three to seven years....

Andrew Carnegie's 'Secret' - passed to Napoleon Hill?

What the mind can believe the mind can achieve!

If you really believe that Ecademy can have 6 million new users, it will happen. China sounds good!

Best

---

John A Murray

A lot of the commentary reads like clambering over a corpse before it's even cold! I thought this blog was about thanking Glenn for his contribution and ecademy's consequential search for a new CEO. What I am reading are self-serving and grandiose ideas of IPOing a "virtual" organisation. Such commentary might be better left to another forum - or digging up old posts where simialr ideas have been unsuccessfully vented before.

Great plan! Thank you Glenn, welcome to our new CEO! Search carefully Thomas and Penny!

One of the points for the new CEO will definitely be about how to attract the new Millenials, our Y generation as Ecademists as well. For them( 18-30) all we had to learn and adapt is already in their genes. I copy a part of one of my new blogs here:

"When you want to lead in this Era embrace the 5 Don'ts and introduce Feel-leadership for the essential difference in personal and company success. 

The 5 Don'ts:

Don't supervise — As social networks become the backplane of work, work media will be the default way that workers interact: through social relationships rather than hierarchies or processes. Millennials have embraced Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and other social tools, and will naturally apply the core elements of those systems to their coordination and communication around work. This means getting out of their way, and letting them do what's necessary to get work done: don't expect them to bring decisions to you to make for them. 

Don't train — Don't attempt to segregate training out of the flow of work. In a world of business where we are onventing how to get our jobs done, learning and doing are inseparable.

Don't retain — People don't have to dedicated full-time to a company or project to be a key contributor, and many Millennials will want to be involved in many activities at once. Build networks of collaborators, and bring them in as needed. 

Don't Fear Publicy — Traditionally, companies have been fearful of transparency and openness. But Millennials are much more inclined to live their lives in public: publicy is becoming the norm, rather than privacy. 

Don't Recruit — Instead, connect with potential collaborators through open social networks, and draw those that you are most impressed with into projects where you can both profit and learn. Tapscott believes that old school 'recruitment' is an industry or function that is likely to wink out, too.
Sources: 
M. Groenevelt : author of Feel-Leadership, leading yourself and your business by intuition and transparancy (coming soon) 
Don Tapscot: author of Wikinomics and The digital economy."

Your new CEO to speak more languages, yes, would be great! Your new CEO to be a red to make the team balanced, yes, would be great! Your future CEO to expand into the growing markets of China, great idea! But don't forget the " business language and content" of the Y generation, they are many people! Good luck.

Margriet Groenevelt Founder PuurZaam™ /


Know me
Like me
Follow me

Who ever that lucky person...Good Luck!!! Your networking site has been always successful and helpful to many of us. More power to Ecademy!!!!

Google's Schmidt Says He 'Screwed Up' in Social Networking - Bloomberg

Yes, Google did, but what went wrong?

Google, contrarily to Microsoft, is still Close, Selective and Controlling while Microsoft has learned to behave as Open, Random and Supportive!

Google covers all from the known knowns of our past to the known unknowns of our present but fears to go beyond!

Social Media is all about the open, random and supportive unknown unknowns of your future!

It's not easy to understand but I try to explain!

Warren Buffett takes an open, random and supportive investment approach of minority stakes where he knowingly avoids close, selective and controlling majority stakes!

In doing so, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc gets optimal and transparent results that Google won't get because Google wants to control their investments.

Google Inc. (GOOG) Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said he "screwed up" in the area of social networking when he was chief executive officer of the world's largest Web- search provider.

"I clearly knew I had to do something and I failed to do it," Schmidt said yesterday of his efforts to help the company excel in social media. "The CEO should take responsibility. I screwed up." He was speaking at AllThingsD's D9 Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

Google faces accelerating competition in online advertising from Facebook Inc., which has done a better job than rivals in helping users create profile pages and connect with friends online. Schmidt, who was CEO for a decade before handing the reins to Google co-founder Larry Page in April, said his company has been unable to forge an alliance with Facebook, the largest social network.

"We've tried very hard to partner with Facebook," he said, noting that Facebook has built a partnership instead with Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) that includes search. "Facebook has done a number of things which I admire."

Google, based in Mountain View, California, is working to improve its social features. In March, it announced a service called "+1'' that lets Web users recommend content to friends directly from the company's search-results pages.

New Partners
Google will begin letting users recommend outside Web pages as well, the company said in a blog posting today. The new service's partners include retailer Nordstrom Inc. (JWN) and AOL Inc.'s Huffington Post.

Schmidt described Google, Facebook, Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) as a "gang of four" that excel in using technology to win consumers and help companies build products.

"Each of them is a consumer brand that provides something that you can't do otherwise," he said.

Microsoft, by contrast, "is not driving the consumer revolution in the minds of consumers."
Apple's role as a rival hasn't kept it from remaining a Google partner, Schmidt said. Apple, whose iPhone competes with Google's Android devices, recently agreed to extend an accord for Google's search and mapping service, he said.

Google would still like Nokia Oyj to be a licensee of its mobile Android software, Schmidt said. Microsoft landed a deal with Nokia earlier this year to provide software for its smartphones.
Google dropped $3.42 to $525.60 at 4 p.m. New York time on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The shares have fallen 12 percent this year.

Schmidt, who joined Google in 2001, said he expects to be there for a long time, although he didn't provide specifics. Page will bring "much product rigor" to Google as CEO, Schmidt said.

If you take over a majority stake of a company, you limit your own financial potential to understand the unknown unknowns of the future and that's what Google didn't get with their acquired targets! Google with Google.org still is quite isolated!

If you take a minority stake of a company, you open your financial potential in an optimal way as we may have seen with the partnership between Warren Buffett and Bill Gates through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation!

What do we know from the known knowns of the past?

Take a look at the long term 10 years evolution of the three main Chinese Internet firms, Sina, Sohu and NetEase!

Sina on June 1, 2001 could be purchased at US$1.74 and closed yesterday at US$120.00!
In ten years, Sina's stock price increased US$118.26 or 6'796.55%

This is the known known evolution of Sina during ten years!

A stake of only US$10 million in Sina, ten years ago, would now be worth US$689 million!

Sohu on June 1, 2001 could be purchased at US$1.62 and closed yesterday at US$79.78!
In ten years, Sina's stock price increased US$78.16 or 4'827.73%

This is the known known evolution of Sohu during ten years!

A stake of only US$10 million in Sohu, ten years ago, would now be worth US$492 million!

NetEase on June 1, 2001 could be purchased at US$0.51 and closed yesterday at US$45.82!
In ten years, Sina's stock price increased US$45.31 or 8'887.84%

This is the known known evolution of NetEase during ten years!

A stake of only US$10 million in NetEase, ten years ago, would now be worth US$898 million!

With an initial investment on June 1, 2001 of US$30 million into Sina, Sohu and NetEase, we know that from the known knowns our value yesterday would have been US$2,079 million!

That's the magic of the known knowns!

The future, the unknown unknowns, we cannot know!

Nobody will know how the share price of these three shares will evolve in the next ten years and no financial analyst will be able to forecast!

The close, selective and controlling Google approach would simply have bought them and no stock exchange evaluation of these three firms would be available anymore!

The open, random and supportive Buffett approach would enable us to see the actual share price as it is!

My approach would be to invest into promising Internet firms like the known known example I showed in a transparent, open, random and supportive way!

How could I know in 2001, while working as a senior consultant at Capgemini's Advanced Technology Consulting business unit that these three stocks would outperform all other stocks?

I didn't really know, but my experience at Peking University between 1985 and 1987 showed me that China, thanks to its social capital knowledge, its guanxi game, had a superior approach in understanding our future unknown unknowns!

Have a great and prosperous time!

Best

- Lucas

Join The Swiss Business Club - Join the GuanXi Game Club - Join the Risk Consulting Club - And Join Doing Business Virtually!

Provided he eliminates the '!' in his posts and has a new picture taken eventually . . . I've heard

Lucas gets my vote

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Very best of luck finding the right man or woman. Have a word with a Mr Zuckerberg, he might be able to do it. all joking a side, best of luck in finding the right person, do not rush the process, take your time to find the right match to the Ecademy ethos.

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Web - Social Media - Design - Print - Digital Coaching - SEO

How about a joint CEO venture, we could run the place together LOL only messing.

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Web - Social Media - Design - Print - Digital Coaching - SEO

Great Demos,

I like and support the idea!

It's what ROLEX did: "The announcement by Swiss luxury watchmaker Rolex that it had replaced its CEO with a duo specialised in sales and marketing has set industry tongues wagging."

Have a great and happy time!

Best

- Lucas

Join The Swiss Business Club - Join the GuanXi Game Club - Join the Risk Consulting Club - And Join Doing Business Virtually!

Thanks Lucas

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Web - Social Media - Design - Print - Digital Coaching - SEO

What an amazing list of 'don'ts' Margriet

Penny x

---

warm regards
Penny Power
Founder of Ecademy and Ecademy Digital School
Helping you build social capital in your business and life

Follow @pennypower

I support:


 

Dear Thomas,

Please may I recommend speaking to Lucas Wyrsch.

As well as being fantastically connected, Lucas is amazingly Open to comment, highly responsive and therefore Supportive, and exceptionally well-connected with what is going on in the wider world. Many analysts believe an external focus is key to performance, and a key Random factor in Ecademy terms. Most importantly, I have not a shred of doubt about his integrity. either in business or as a human being.

I therefore cannot think of many who are more Open Random and Supportive, and moreover trustworthy, although I am aware that in a CEO, you may be looking for more CSC High Red characteristics.

One key factor I suggest Lucas does have is the ability to pick and manage commercial product winners. Ongoing, Ecademy will need a range of products which appeal across and outside its current membership, and I believe Lucas has a good feel for the key processes needed to trial new products and gauge market response.

He is certainly a believer in small business, and even if not the complete package you are looking for, I would certainly trust his recommendations about who to look to for the next leg in the incredible Ecademy journey.

Good luck !

Warm Regards,

Peter Jones
Blue Oyster Talent Bureau
INNOVATION | INTEGRITY | SHARING | GROWTH

I would imagine this will be one of the most sought after jobs online.

Good luck in the search and my best to all the Powers!

Nigel
t: @nigel_dunn
b: http://blogspot.com/calxeurope

---

Nigel

Thomas,
It reminds me a mythological storey. In the end while asking one day why you are bringing wood from the sea beach every day morning as early as dawn time.

He took that person to his home and showed a bullock which was studded with costly diamonds and all sorts of costly jwells and said I am looking of a pair to make.
The visitor got surprised to find his home was a palace, he was a king himself.

I mean many of the properties you both of you got. Now only to find out what you do not have, and that also keep with you and try to find out from linked in, face book and Ecademy itself. I know it is very tough job but not impossible. This exercise is like a rewind the film and watching again and again and suddenly you find what you want and how can be achieved. Penny is a wise lady she will find out for you a CEO.

Ela.
+

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John A Murray

@Instead, connect with potential collaborators through open social networks, and draw those that you are most impressed with into projects where you can both profit and learn

GO 4 someone who embraces the changes. A mix of Real and those with Klout!

Good Luck! Cxx


www.cardiffboardroom.co.uk
www.lifestyle-online.co.uk

He means the Dragon, Thomas !



Warm Regards,

Peter Jones
Blue Oyster Talent Bureau
INNOVATION | INTEGRITY | SHARING | GROWTH

Dear Thomas Power ,

Thank you for your blog and hope to find the suitable candidate .

I would think that Lucas Wyrsch would be perfect as CEO ,Lucas is a top leader and he likes Ecademy much in addition to his power of convincing and his popularity . He is a great consultant .

I hope that he likes this idea and find suitable time for being CEO. I resuggest that Lucas looks again into this matter for himself also .

All the luck for Ecademy .

I ll spread this blog and my comment to my 9300 followers on twitter .

Best regards ,


Zeina Shbaklo
http://www.entrepreneur16.com/

Hi Steve, me again.

May I put it this way to you, Steve. Some people need hope, even if you don't. Some people like to learn new things, even if you don't.

With your customer coalface experience, where is your appreciation of the different wants and needs in a marketplace ? It's not all just about the bottom line! Any product is only as good as what people are prepared to pay for it, the value they see in it. Your value is not the same as other people's value.

The UK also reports a huge lack of soft skills, which fundamentally enable the UK to do business. I've seen this lack in action from none other than a West End Barclays Bank manager. He was employed, yes, but commercially awake to new possibilities and worthwhile business relationships, definitely not. Ecademy is a place to learn those soft skills, in a trusted environment. If I went out to the market to learn new skills, and I have tried, I would have spent a fortune, with scant return, and with nowhere near the level of trust I have in Thomas, Penny, William, Lucas and so on.

I think your self-imposed ivory tower is suffocating you, Steve ! You should try and connect with people more.

And you yourself have highlighted the need for a CEO. The market place is changing, and right now Ecademy needs to evolve to fit the new landscape with the key product it offers, that of informed, knowledgeable, caring, community-based insight into business needs and matters of the day, and the stresses and strains that face small business in global business markets. What Ecademy needs is the right toolkit to get this message across within and outside the Ecademy community and then likewise support its members ongoing. I see these as critical CEO tasks.

Seriously, with best intentions, (and I know what I could be letting myself in for),

Peter Jones
Blue Oyster Talent Bureau
INNOVATION | INTEGRITY | SHARING | GROWTH

I'm in total agreement with Stuarte Harris, ex-President, BlackStar,
and someone who certainly puts a lot of thought into what he writes :-

by Stuarte Harris on 2-Jun-11 12:05am : Message :-

" Lucas deserves serious consideration ".

MILT.

Hi Penny,

I think Margriet makes a lot of sense. Corporates have been splintering for many years, and we are not open enough in corporate UK to take on board where the trends are taking us.

Summarising in a positive way:

Self starters - something corporates already look for, a majority of Ecademists will be this way
Learning on the job - this is now an essential skill, something Ecademists will be pretty good at
Rich feedback - the US have understood the benefits of being open since 2002;UK still learning, boo!
Partners, not employees - partners are smarter, more motivated, and cost substantially less
Networked partners - something Thomas has espoused since day 1, and an Ecademy strength

Warm Regards,

Peter Jones
Blue Oyster Talent Bureau
INNOVATION | INTEGRITY | SHARING | GROWTH

---

irene power-leach .

Thomas and Penny,

So sorry Glen has moved on. He was a great asset and I thank him.

Well something really meaty to pray about so I have now begun! So it's only a matter of time to a good result.

You have some great Ecademists on your side! Enjoyed reading everything.

All the very best, Your mum.

Thank you Mum really appreciated and really need those prayers to bring forward into members lives and our lives that new CEO.

I received three fascinating CVs yesterday from the USA. Nothing from Europe. Nothing from Asia. Nothing from Africa.

It seems à lot of people here want Lucas Wyrsch as new CEO. THE Question is if you Thomas and Penny see THE possibilty and if Lucas is available.

---

Robert Oosthout
Solicitor & Mediator
Call me on +31 626 902 545

Thomas

I'd like to wish you all the best of luck in finding the right person and investment so that the team can continue to provide for its members and community.

I have learnt a lot from Penny and yourself and the Ecademy community here.

All the very best

Selchouk

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victoria@victoriabullis.com

I just tweeted this, sent it out on Linkedin, and am sending it to a few key execs who are very 'connected...'

I KNOW you will find someone major: I feel it! Best of success for finding him/her speedily,

Victoria

Dear penny, Dear Thomas, This blog becomes a good example of crowdsourcing, you 'll find your CEO

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Margriet Groenevelt Founder PuurZaam™ /


Know me
Like me
Follow me

I would have thought your Mum was worthy of a free upgrade to Blackstar !!!

---

Thanks
Stephen

Follow @Stephen_Bailey

Ditto ~ This blog becomes a good example of crowdsourcing, you 'll find your CEO

Who mentioned Lucas?




Sparkle Friday! Cx


www.cardiffboardroom.co.uk
www.lifestyle-online.co.uk

It would be difficult to find some one to fit in the shoes of Glenn. He is matchless.
My sincere best wishes in the search

..how much?

---

regards..
Vlad K. Once

Give William B the post and pay him well.

Then pay lucas to offer his valued input with your finance/restructuring strategy.

Whatever you decide, remember and continue listening to your members, stakeholders and shareholders whilst rewarding them all well for their input, afterall you wouldnt be where you are today without them.

Onwards and upwards.

---

Fraser

Fraser J. Hay

Dear Thomas,

I very much liked Margriet's comment about crowdsourcing and Fraser's idea as well!

Ecademy has the biggest future potential of all available social business media networks because of it's ability of recommendations!

I once mentioned that your past consists of your known knowns, your expertice, your knowledge, your skill set, your education, all you know that you know!

Your present is about your known knowns and your known unknowns! All you know that you don't know, you can search for! It's all about the close, selective and controlling private networks! It's where the corporate world is actually! Why do Google, Microsoft's Bing and Yahoo Collaborate in Search? Search will make only 0.01% of your potential! 99.99% of our potential isn't yet known by us because it derives from the unknown unknowns!

It's all about asymmetric information or information asymmetry

And here comes the added value of Ecademy, where Ecademy can earn billions of dollars through advice to corporates!

Your future is about your unknown unknowns! You don't know what you don't know! You only can know what you don't know thanks to recommendations! You only can get access to your unknown unknowns thanks to open, random and supportive social media early warning systems like twitter or, of course, ecademy! Most corporates still don't know much about corporate social media and cannot incorporate such knowledge into their knowledge management systems!


As Margriet mentioned, you'll find a tresor of information in Don Tapscott's Wikinomics!

Open, random and supportive social media is all about how to make better use of better knowledge that most corporates don't yet know and can learn from our collective experience!

That's why a corporate social media consultancy will bring to corporates a treasure of our experience and make us earn substantial new sources of revenues thanks to recommendations!

Fraser is a great expert in social media recommendation management!

Have a wonderful and prosperous time!

Best

- Lucas

Join The Swiss Business Club - Join the GuanXi Game Club - Join the Risk Consulting Club - And Join Doing Business Virtually!

Monetary compensation alone may not attract the the best talent.The search need to be tailored to locate one who ardently believes in the mission of Ecademy .

WOW!

THIS has never been done!! *
Engaging the community in finding a CEO (-ish) member.....

That in itself is IMHO the power of Ecademy.....It takes guts to throw it all in the open
Transparency from a whole new angle.....I LOVE IT!!!

---

Lisa

*Well at least not to my knowledge...anyone has any examples where a social/business community openly ask for recruitment help at this level?

Agreed Lisa very brave

Sad to hear of Glenn's parting, and wish my fellow Brummy all the best for the future. I also know that it won't be long before the right person comes along to take on the challenge.

Shame I didn't know earlier ... I could have flyer-dropped the well-stocked car park at the Casino Monte Carlo. Looks like there might be a bit of disposable income around!



Felicitations from sunny Cannes!
M

---

Matt Hodkinson is Social Media Locksmith at Influence Agents
@matt_hodkinson @influenceagents

---

"Amen, Amen, to that fair prayer, say I." (Shakespeare)

And if Lucas has the capital to invest to become an equal shareholder with Penny and me Robert.

Dear Thomas,

Ecademy's potential will be strongly increased by Google's failure to embrace social networking!

Google just acquired Social Media Analytics Company PostRank as Google starts to fear that social media behemoth may take on search market!

Thomas, during a decade, corporates all over the world overrated search and underrated social media!

Ecademy now has the best time to start even playing the reverse IPO game!

Google bought Youtube for US$1.6 billion!

Ecademy could buy Ku6 Media Co., Ltd. for only US$1.21 million!

KU6 Media Company Limited, formerly Hurray! Holding Co., Ltd., is an online video company in China. Through its two online brands and online video Websites, www.ku6.com and www.juchang.com, Ku6 provides video information services and entertainment in China. As an online video portal, www.ku6.com provides a video platform for sharing and watching user-generated content. It also provides online video news, reports and other interactive entertainment programs for its users. Ku6's www.juchang.com offers an array of copyright compliant content, such as movies, television series and other video programs sourced from Ku6's global content partners. Ku6.com owns an alliance of original programs in China and possesses over 100,000 producers of original films and television programs and over one million original videos. On January 18, 2010, it acquired Ku6 Holding Limited (Ku6 Holding), an online video portal in China to complement its wireless value-added service

Ecademy would immediately have access to the Chinese market, a potential of 900 million mobile users and 450 million Internet users!

It's all in the magic of social media and ecademy is one of the most knowledgeable and most talented experts!

If Ecademy develops a corporate social media consultancy, a strong new revenue stream will start to diversify Ecademy's online portal risk!

Have a great and prosperous time!

Best

- Lucas

Join The Swiss Business Club - Join the GuanXi Game Club - Join the Risk Consulting Club - And Join Doing Business Virtually!

The best advice one can get...

---

Abdul (Dubai Apartments)
Mangrove Facilities Management, L.L.C.

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victoria@victoriabullis.com

Thomas' Mum, Irene,

WHAT a sweet message!

I hope I am able to meet you one day....and I LOVED your book...

All the best,

Victoria

Dear All,

Some considerations again.......

Is a person who is willing and capable to buy an equal percentage of shares just by being able and willing to do that also the best possible CEO?
Is there a risk of having tunnel vision if we limit ourselves to 2 or 3 candidates in this early stage?
However much I like Lucas, and however capable I think he may be, does Lucas match the profile of our ultimate CEO?
How much of a compromise are we willing to make?
Would we suffer quality for likabillity?

Should we also look into matching the long term vision of Thomas and Penny and perhaps the membership with the long term goals of the future CEO?

Have we considered alternative funding?
Should a CEO always be a shareholder?

How would we measure the commitment of the new CEO?
Would we prefer a highly qualified expensive **** over a likable cheap nitwitt?

In short what would be our selection criteria??!!

Thomas and Penny, I wish you all the wisdom in the world!

Cheers

Fred

---

Fred Rutgers
www.isotechniek.nl
fred.rutgers@isotechniek.nl
+31649436436
Also check out my details on linkedin and xing

P.S. let's get connected!
If there is anything I can do for you, Just ask!

Lucas will only get my vote if he keeps his picture and the '!". It's all part of the brand!

Regards, Ian Moncrieff MacMillan
M: +44-7973-119-542

Ecademy is a very sophisticated platform, so great care will be needed not to innovate away that sophistication. Much of the sophistication is within how the community behaves and how the platform is used, supported by to the functionality within and around the platform (notice how the interactions of the members naturally spills out from Ecademy onto Twitter, Facebook, RealWorld, EmpireAvenue, etc...).

So CIO is a role, but it could require a lot of positively doing nothing (Ron Wopereis can help one hold one's nerve), to let innovative usage emerge (as per Twitter's RT, RFR, etc). Live R&D!


Regards, Ian Moncrieff MacMillan
M: +44-7973-119-542

Dear Ian Moncrieff MacMillan ,

I read about Lucas future vision for Ecademy

One of which is members above 3 Million

What if 1 Million became black stars

Lucas have a Co with some partners about power generation that uses clean energy
But from few years .

Now after Japans crisis , all countries are looking for clean energy for generating power

So the Vote goes for Lucas for all of the above and for more other important issues

All the best


Zeina Shbaklo
http://www.entrepreneur16.com/

I think this new member has summed things up quite/very nicely


http://www.ecademy.com/node.php?id=164785

When I spoke at the #istrategy conference in Amsterdam recently, I was overwhelmed by the reaction to my 'community talk', embedded below for anyone interested

I had many people coming to me saying 'would ecademy be good for them?"

My answer was as follows:

"Yes, if you take time and really like getting to know people, we are the cozie pub with a fireplace, we create intimacy and people stay because they like one another"

I always wanted Ecademy to be like the old business days were business was done on the Golf Course or in a Wine bar on a Friday evening after work, business can be done through social interaction

I think we have achieved that with all your help on Ecademy, but perhaps the issue is, with regard to volume, that not many people take time for people any more, and perhaps, and this is a big dream, in time they will learn to.

---

warm regards
Penny Power
Founder of Ecademy and Ecademy Digital School
Helping you build social capital in your business and life

Follow @pennypower

I support:


 

Hi Penny and Thomas,

Value seems to be a key, doesn't it?

The question of "would Ecademy be good for them?" is perhaps another way to ask a similar question, which could be "What is Ecademy's Value Proposition?"

* Value to Current Owners - what do current owners receive for the work they put in?
* Value to Ecademy Shareholders - what do the Ecademy Shareholders receive for the money they invest and is what they receive competitive with other similar investments?
* Value to Members - what is the value of an Ecademy Membership to the Members?
* Value to the recipients of Recommendations, who would be "Customers" - what value do Ecademy Customer receive relative to other options they may consider?
* Value of "Unknown Uknowns" - what market changes might affect us all and what do we need to understand in order to remain relevant?

The question is relevant because we all operate in our own competitive worlds.

As such, we all have to mindful of our Value Propositions and how they may change. This awareness and willingness to continually evaluate our value helps make sure that our businesses, that we personally and that those individuals over whom we may have some influence remain current, fresh, relevant and market worthy.

Thomas and Penny, we are all pulling for you as you work through this very open process of reorganization that you have introduced to us all.

Thank you.

Best of luck!

Bob Jones

---

Robert C. Jones

Make today the longest day of our lives!

Grand Luxxe Villa - The Symbol of Luxury

I think we got a little step closer yesterday with a candidate. Will keep you all posted.

Very encouraging.So soon we will have a new leader who will steer the Ecademy to much greater height.

N Bhashyam

Hi Thomas,

Did I miss a follow-up to this - is there a new CEO in place at Ecademy?

All the best
Ian

Register for banking job alerts

We will keep you posted Ian.

(quote:
What you need is a mixture of Steve Jobs, Rockefeller and Mother Theresa!)

...hmm....must be an interesting person then....will see it...lol

..Thomas, would take Mother Theresa...with her age she has the most experiences.....

---

Have fun, Karin Sebelin

I support:



Digital Business Britain - Manifesto 2011
by Penny Power

Hi Thomas

I have just Tweeted this to circa 10,700 Followers.

I wish you and Penny all the best with the search.

I imagine that you are looking for a full time CEO?

---

All the best,
Regards
Nigel
Marketing consultant, speaker and author
www.nigeltemple.com
Tel: 01628 773128

***** Founder of The Marketing Compass - join for free and discover 101 ways to attract more customers *****

Found him.

Congratulations on locating the talent.
I am confident he will guide and steer the Ecademy to a leadership role incoming years...

N Bhashyam