a4u Blog

Ultimately it's the people that make a business what it is. With the departure of the "chiefs" the day to day workers are much more likely to either love the new environment because there are promotions on offer, or hate it because the cultutre that made the company what it is is no longer there.

In my dealings with Kevin I always found him a knowledgeable guy who lead Buy.at extremely well into and the out of their AOL buy out. It will be interesting to see how AOL move Buy.at forwards both as a standalone business and part of the much awaited Project A with the recent personnel changes!

This looks like the begining of another affiliate network going from good to bad. Why do big companies buy sucessful smaller ones, then change them as soon as they take ownership. Do AOL think they can run a better affiliate network? They haven't done a very good job with Tradedoubler, have they?

Titanic??? Or run with the cash

Doug

That is a real shame. Kevin's a decent guy who helped make buy.at a bigger player. I hope he jumped. Good luck to him, and lucky next operation he turns up at.

It follows the typical pattern of a buyout a few years back and senior management bailing out. Usually due to changes in direction or culture by the new people in charge.

I'll be interested like others to see if this is the end of the beginning or then beginning of the end.

Since the recent AOL buy-out of Buy.at. There have been recent departures by the former Buy.at foundation building folk of Steven Brown & Malcolm Cowley who I can only assume have moved on to pastures new with a somewhat silent withdrawal, as if ushered out of the tradesman’s entrance & soon to be followed by Kevin Cornils.

Pushed? Shoved? Made their fortunes? Ran with the cash? or Gardening leave? We can only speculate. Differences to one side, it was anticipated but the quiet manner without fanfare it wasn’t.

Is Buy.at becoming the Titanic or the Mary Celeste? or is it a hybrid of the twane? As for the preceding showering of petals I scoff at the very notion.

In my humble, yet, vociferous opinion Buy.at veered off the correct navigational course many moons ago. On their maiden voyage the bearings seemed correct and the crewmen (affiliates) shouted “ship ahoy” in unison with what seemed a welcomed & fresh approach to the industry.

It soon became apparent, in my opinion, that they (the company) became pirates & plunderers as the Jolly Roger was hoisted (derived from “Old Roger” which was the nickname for the devil). Whether they were charmed by the mermaids or in the immortal words of Elvis … the “Devil in Disguise”… there is still barnacled driftwood floating about in the crows nest and whether the recently commissioned Captain AOL request that a few (not all) walk the plank or if newly recruited deckhands can steer them back on course is another question or will they eventually sink into the abyss.

Good luck Steve & Malcolm … Drink up me hearties, yo ho.

with my buy.at Hat on, I can honestly say Kevin Cornils is the smartest guy I ever had the pleasure of working with, however the world moves on and he is JUST 1 of many many talented people in the company, and think back to when there was NO Kevin, buy.at was still around then !

with my NON buy.at Hat on, I am always amazed at reading comments by people talking about sinking ships and stuff, it fascinates me that the same people who spend their lives talking crap on forums about spyware and BBG groups, actually made their money from dodgy / unethical practices before anyone knew what was going on, the fact that you were then busy playing superstars in your own little world and playing with yourself whilst others went and made cash isn't other people's problem.

and apologies for the direct comments, and the lack of proper English grammar, I was actually busy selling jeans to my fellow students during my English lessons ...

Big shame. I remember fondly the night where Kevin was introduced to us and despite his Canadian light drinking background, gamely stayed around all night then took a number of us buyateers back to his room at the Royal Station Hotel in Newcastle (he was based in London). We blagged our way past the reception and then repeatedly blagged more alcohol out of room service despite their 'no room parties' policy!

Top night, nice guy, by all accounts a really good CEO. Hope he goes on to better things.

Good to see you back mate we have missed you

Doug

I heard you were moving on too Shak? So perhaps not worth putting the buy.at hat back on

I don't think it's a sinking ship, but I do wonder how many people from the "good old days" of buy.at will be left soon. It's a shame, as they have lost some of the key people in the industry and seem to be more of a corporate machine now.