Whitman to Step Down, eBay

Meg Whitman, current CEO pulls the golden parachute March 31. Donahoe is already named as her successor. Interesting we don’t get the usual ‘more time with family’ nonsense. Instead we get –

“Ten years is about the right amount of time for a CEO to serve in this industry,” Whitman said on a conference call this afternoon. “It’s important that new perspective and new eyes come to the company. It’s tough to stay fresh, no matter who you are.”

eBay still makes bundles of cash. eBay also epitomizes many attributes of a ThirdPipe firm — virtual, cost reducer and expanding the little guy. But on a personal note I lost interest in eBay when the eStores became a dominant component of the listings. I used to use eBay to find those parts and pieces I could not find anywhere else. Yes I can still do that but the person to person feel is gone. Plus I have to wade thru 4-8 screens of 26 sellers all hawking a windup phone all within pennies of each other in price. I don’t have the time for such foolishness.

I hope that the new CEO will return eBay to its roots.

Linky.