Rivals.com is "trimming its staff," according to John
Cook of the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER. The "heavily
financed" company yesterday dismissed 40 people in an
attempt to "streamline operations and achieve profitability
at a quicker pace." The company now employs 150 people.
Rivals.com interim CEO Saul Gamoran: "Today's action shows
our commitment to winning and that we don't want to sit idly
by as the market changes." Gamoran said that "no further
layoffs are anticipated." The company is "looking at
scaling back plans for additional online networks in areas
other than sports." It also is "looking to boost revenue by
licensing its technology platform to other companies"
(SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 7/28). In Seattle, Roger Yu
writes that the firings reduces the site's work force by
21%. The employees, including three VPs, were informed in a
morning meeting. They had received an e-mail the previous
evening asking them to appear at work by 9:00am. The
employees were given severance pay and prorated options that
"vest according to the number of months served." Among
those let go were VP/e-commerce Darren Williams, Corporate
Communications Chief John Uppendahl and VP/Marketing Kim
Leaming. Yu writes that "some former workers criticized how
the layoffs were handled. The management cordoned off the
affected employees to one floor at 9 a.m. to break the
news." Those that were laid off where "then urged to leave
the building within a half hour" (SEATTLE TIMES, 7/28).
