Glu Mobile Hires Former Hands-On Mobile CEO As New Leader
San Mateo, Calif.-based Glu Mobile (NSDQ: GLUU), which had been struggling to appoint a new CEO, says it has hired Niccolo de Masi as President and CEO. De Masi’s name rings a bell because he most recently served as CEO and president of San Francisco-based Hands-On Mobile, one of Glu’s competitors (and actually he is still listed as CEO on Hands-On’s website). Release.
Just about a month ago, Glu appointed its co-chairman William J. Miller to the position of interim president and CEO as it continued to look for a replacement for Greg Ballard, who was stepping down to pursue other opportunities. The board had been conducting a search for a permanent replacement for months, but had no luck. Miller was appointed because the mobile-game company was just entering their 2010 planning process, and it made sense to have a manager participate that would still be around in the new year. Miller said today in a release:
funny how after months and months of talking shit about glu he went to work for them. a rat is a rat.
Finally! Thought he should have been hired by Glu long ago, just how similar his background is to Glu’s situation right now … Well done Glu!!!
The shocker here is that earlier last year during an all hands meeting Niccolo told all of the staff that Glu is screwed and said they were insolvent. He actually spelled out why they were a hopeless cause. He has said many times that the “mobile gaming industry is a worthless business if you do not own your own IP” Strange that he now says the opposite?
It is amazing that Glu went with the guy?
He was ousted from Monstermob in the UK by the investors and during his tenure at Hands-On Mobile, he presided over the company going from a few hundred employees to a few dozen. Does not sound like a great catch to me.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSL2356906520070223
My advice to any Glu employees is to start working on your resumes, this cat was brought in because the board was impressed with what he did at Hands-On Mobile, which was to fire a bunch of people and divest the international publishing.
Well, he also single-handily brought up Monstermob’s share price from ground-zero to sky high :) http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7512cf34-fc0a-11da-b1a1-0000779e2340.html?nclick_check=1 Then China’s regulation change f*cked it all up for EVERYONE in the industry, so guess we should stock up Glu’s shares now huh :)
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature stirring, I was sucking off a goat.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care I was seducing a goat from O’Hare,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there, I went down on a former investor from Chi Town.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of succeful mobile app’s danced in their heads.
And mamma in her NSTL phase, and I in my J2ME phase danced in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long string of negative quarters.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
we tried to by Glu and their laughter it did shatter. Actually they mocked us for months because we sucked.
Away to the windows Mobile I flew like a flash,
Tore open my ass cheaks to the WinMo team and threw up the sash.
I bent over like a midget with gold on his knee’s. I rubbed Vaseline on my anus and clapped with good glee.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow, I reconsidered my goals I thought I should do blow.
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!
“Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.
His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!”
Great news for Hands-On