That’s what Knoxviews blogger R. Neal is asking.
It seems the Haslam failed to mention on his Gubernatorial websitehis stint at Saks Fifth Ave. as President of the now defunct Sacks Direct.
I wonder why Bill Haslam doesn’t want people to know about that? Could it be because he wasn’t such a great business leader?
With presumably little or no knowledge or experience in e-commcerce, it’s not clear how he landed the job in the first place. One could speculate that he was being “kicked out of the nest,” so to speak, to get some non-family related business experience as part of his grooming for a career in politics. One might also speculate that Saks was chosen because of local ties with Proffitts, which had acquired Saks. The chairman and CEO of Saks at the time also served on Pilot’s board. [1]
At any rate, the company did not fare well during Haslam’s tenure as head of e-commerce. Shares in Saks stock fell from $35 in January of 1999 when he was hired to $11 in June of 2001 when the company announced they were “restructuring” the e-commerce division. Saks shareholders lost 68.5% of their investment during the period. [2]
D’oh! A lie of omission is still a lie Bill.
Go read the rest, it’s very insightful.
Shame on Bill Haslam, he graduated from college, sought work, that was not a good fit. Many young people have to find their place in the business worlds, and there are a few jobs I would like to erase and have. As a Chattanoogan, the other candidate dropped out of college, and has mug shots for his years of drug use. Yep, I would drop Bill like a hot potato and vote for Wamp, a college drop out that had a strong passion for cocaine.
I have know Bill almost my entire life, and he is a great business executive. So the dot.com bubble caught up with him at Saks Direct…it caught up with many – me included. So many lost out during those times.
Saks was lucky to have Bill at the time…and we are benefiting from their loss. He has been a great executive leader in business with Pilot, and he has been a truly remarkable Mayor for a large metropolitan area (Knoxville). And we are about to elect him for governor where he can bring his skills and background to some important problems in our state.
Good leaders have ups and downs – it makes people stronger. Bill is a good Christian man and a Family man…those things come first. But after that, we will have the rest of him, and we will be so much better for it.
Fred
But shouldn’t the voters in the rest of the state who aren’t familiar with his history get the whole story? Here in Memphis we have learned he married a Memphis girl. Which is more relevant to his ability to lead.
But shouldn’t the voters in the rest of the state who aren’t familiar with his history get the whole story?
…sure they should. I agree – and look very closely. You will find one of the most honest and upfront leaders you have ever researched.
When you are interviewing for a job – you always lead with you strengths and show your accomplishments in a positive light. That what Bill has done. His history is an open-book, and like all great men, he has some experiences where he overcame adversity and moved on to greater service for the community.
I say do your research, and look closely. And look at the “whole” man – you will not find better except maybe in your own home.
F
[...] non-disclosure of his Pilot Oil holdings, his unwillingness to place them in a blind trust, and his sin of omission on his resume are just a [...]