Somewhere in the world today, a group of minstrels may be singing about how Scott B. Meyer, the former CEO of About.com, is about to “beat a very brave retreat.” Meyer himself, on the other hand, will probably stick with an “amicable parting” line.
Scott Meyer:
CEO – About.com
These are the two accounts concerning the circumstances of his departure; the first comes from the New York Times, and the second, from Valleywag. Believe whichever source you want; Richard Perez-Pena apparently consulted with “other Times Company executives . . . and industry analysts,” while Owen Thomas had a “tipster.”
Either way, Meyer is out, and he seems to be leaving in a hurry; Thursday, March 6th will be his last day, and all parties agree that no permanent replacement is ready. CEOs often gives several months’ worth of notice, never mind the standard two-week period.
Still, the company isn’t going to be running around headless. Perez-Pena reports, “Ron McCoy, who is the chief technology officer of the company’s About division, will run About.com on an interim basis.” Also, “A spokeswoman for the company, Catherine Mathis, said it will look inside and outside for a new chief executive.”
We can only hope this search will allow for the use of more Monty Python references.
