Bauer Xcel makes ‘structural changes’ axing head of operations role and four more
L:R Silva and Newby to depart.
Bauer Media’s digital arm Bauer Xcel has culled five positions, including general manager of operations Marcelo Silva, with managing director Carl Hammerschmidt saying the roles have been cut as the company shifts from a delivery phase to an operational phase.
Marcelo Silva has been Bauer Xcel’s general manager of operations for the past 10 months, previously heading up video, mobile and strategic partnerships for the company.
Kiff Newby, head of digital marketing, who had been in his position for the past two-and-a-half years, and a further three positions were made redundant. Bauer Xcel declined to provide more details on those positions.
So, my first question if I was being interviewed by Bauer Xcel would be, “How do I know you won’t get rid of me within less than a year? You keep getting rid of your staff after they’ve done all the hard work.”
I’m not fluent in management gibber…can someone please translate the following quote: “We’re moving from a delivery phase into an operational phase and we’re optimising the business based on what those operational needs are and we’re going to continue to do that in the future. That’s digital: you build; you learn; you refine and ongoing we’re going to continue to change the shape of our teams, invest in resources in different areas.” Hang on, I’ll take a stab: “we don’t know the meaning of the word ‘nimble'”
So, you’re “moving from a delivery to an operational phase” but getting rid of your head of Operations? That makes sense – Not. And I would have though marketing would be part and parcel of any business’ day to day operations – and yet the Marketing Manager is going too. What poppycock – Mr Hammerschmidt needs a more logical, believable explanation than this for these cuts. And one more thing: if you’re moving from delivery to operational, does this mean you consider job done in terms of building new digital stuff? Because most people would consider that Bauer has a long, long way to go in terms of its digital proposition.
Selling demos as a network was a fuck up. Unwinding all that to go back to masthead sales.
Seriously, if you really need to PR shafting people (and I question you do), can we at least cut the crap? If you’re firing people, you’ve ‘built’ something that not enough people wanted.