Should Mark Zuckerberg step aside and let another, more seasoned executive assume the role of CEO for the company?
That’s the question some investors are raising as the company’s stock price continues to hit new lows. A Los Angeles Times story quoted four such investors — Sam Hamadeh, head of research firm PrivCo, Barry Ritholtz, head of research firm Fusion IQ, Chris Whalen, senior managing director at Tangent Capital Partners in New York and Scott Sweet, senior managing partner of Tampa-based IPO Boutique — who say Zuckerberg should remain as a creative force, but the company should hire an experienced CEO to run things. However, others quoted in the article were supportive of Zuckerberg.
Though Zuckerberg may be a convenient target for frustrated investors, there’s ample precedent in the tech world for bringing in an outsider to run a company. For instance, Google’s first CEO was Larry Page, but in 2001, the company brought in Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Novell and CTO at Sun Microsystems, to be chairman and, a few months later, CEO.
What do you think? Is Zuck, as the LAT suggests “in over his hoodie”? (Mashable.com)
