"TPL/PTSC conflicts, TPL/Moore conflicts, BOD/CEO conflicts, PTSC/Acquisition target conflicts, questionable financial strategies, poor communication strategies, questionable severance deals"
Because you're one of the most reasonable BoD critics it's worth to take the time to answer your points:
- TPL/PTSC conflicts: How can the BoD be made responsible for certain behaviour of the partners they are working successfully for years?
- TPL/Moore conflicts: While I'm not sure if Moore is that innocent in this conflict it comes to the same question as above: how could the BoD have changed the behaviour of Leckrone - always keeping in mind that his activities have brought in a lot of money.
- BoD/CEO conflicts: I don't see real conflicts here but "normal" mistakes which are common in business. Pohl wasn't a CEO, he was responsible for laying the grounds for the PTSC-TPL relationship, Turley was a nice try and Goerner seemed to be perfect from his credentials - we all were impressed and hoped for a great future.
- PTSC/Acquisition target conflicts: Holocom and (hopefully) PDSG are on the positive side, Talis on the negative side (loss) and Avot is neutral (got at least our money back). PTSC so far has never been in the financial position to buy a profitable company therefore it was likely they had to invest in start-up companies - and the success ratio of investments in start-ups is 1:5 as I recall from venture capitalists.
- Questionable financial strategies: To invest the complete money in the ARS was a mistake - but to invest money in the ARS was common strategy made by many other companies, too. Never the less: Never put all your eggs in one basket! (LOL, what did I do with PTSC...???)
- Poor communication strategies: While I agree communications could have been much better I'm afraid the main characteristic of the IP-/licensing business is its secretness. Never the less it would have been good to get a regular update though I'm sure many people would have complained about "fluff PR".
- Questionable severance deals: I agree but again am afraid that these kind of deals are common in business, hence I'm not sure if you can blame the BoD for this.
After more than 15 years with my own business I'd like to allude to the fact that business is permanent change and very hard to predict - it takes a very good leader to steer a ship through the market sea.
GLTY
