Monday, June 15, 2009

Urgent: Top exec Dubow announces medical leave; CFO Martore gets reins in open-ended power swap

This just moved on BusinessWire; the key phrase that the attorneys must have sweated over is this: "until such time" as Dubow, 54, is able to return to work. The full text:

Gannett Co. Inc. announced that Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Craig Dubow will be on a temporary medical leave of absence following back surgery. Gracia C. Martore, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will serve as the Company's principal executive officer until such time as Mr. Dubow is able to return to work.

"I look forward to a full recovery," said Dubow. "I am confident that Gracia and our strong, experienced management team will continue to execute our strategic plan while I am recovering."

Earlier: Resources for journalists covering today's news

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16 comments:

  1. he shuold have been fired long time ago.

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  2. This company has given me a pain in my neck.
    Can I get 4 months off too?

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  3. Her Gracia, any golf club memberships we can cancel here to save money?

    Or will Bob just take advantage of them?

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  4. Who wants to take bets that he does not come back, that takes a medical retirement!

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  5. 107,000+ shares already traded in AH, no change in price.

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  6. I'll bet his medical insurance is better than any of us get!

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  7. Gee. I got a pain in my backside and they call it Dubow syndrom. Think I could get medical leave for that.

    Maybe with him out now we'll see a profit.

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  8. What goes around comes around. The bad karma since last December continues. Only one way to reverse it. Make things right with those who were loyal, competent and unjustly let go.

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  9. Why is this a big deal? The guy is on medical leave. He'll be back. Things will continue to spiral downward. Mid-management does the real day-to-day and lasting damage in this company. I just don't understand the significance of this. It's a back injury to an empty suit who has no clue about what goes on with the troops. How does that really impact any of us?

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  10. Blowing this out of proportion reminds of the old trees/forest thing... Once again Gannett Blog focuses on the big, sexy names, but doesn't address the problems we all have as a result of some awful newsroom managers. There are plenty of MEs and DMEs who are killing this company. I imagine other departments have pretty terrible leaders too. Who occupies the big chair is almost inconsequential.

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  11. 5:37 I totally concur.

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  12. Martore is no better than Dubow, and GCI is no better with her. Wake up people.

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  13. 7:15 I agree this company is no better off with her taking over for Dubow. Dubow is leaving because he doesn't want to be around for more layoffs.

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  14. I, too, totally agree with 5:37.

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  15. Now there will be absolutely no pretense that this company is run by bean-counters. This is what happens when you consolidate all titles in one person. Fortune 500 companies typically have a CEO-president or CEO-COO arrangement. This Martore person already has her hands full dressing up the numbers every quarter. And now we're to believe that she has the time and ability to mind the store, too?

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  16. I can't help but be pissed at this...purely from a personal level. When I had my on the job injury, I became persona non grata with management in 2 seconds flat. Even though I was obviously and seriously hurt, ANY sign of weakness was frowned upon and crap rained down on me. When I went from 70+ hours a week to 55-60, I was treated like a "slacker", and went from being a well-reviewed employee to being crap...overnight.
    BUT, our fearless leader can take 4 months off for his "back problem". I'll just bet he won't put up with 1/8th the discrimination and humiliation that my division put me through. Even though I'm poverty stricken, it's STILL better than staying at Gannett. They beat me and I quit. Somehow, I think I may have won anyway. I would have just been laid off eventually.
    I wonder if our disability people are photographing/videotaping him?? Be GREAT if they caught him playing golf with his "bad back."

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