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Hands-On CEO and President Resign; COO Running The Company

By Rafat Ali - Fri 03 Aug 2007 03:48 PM PST

All the turmoil at mobile games and content publisher HandsOn has taken a new and perhaps final turn: CEO Jonathan Sacks and president John Rousseau have been pushed out, after being lame duck for a while. As we mentioned back in March, COO Lynn Crawford is now running the show. Sacks will continue to be on the board.

The company is looking for a new CEO. Sacks joined the mobile gaming firm (then known as Mforma) two years ago, with the intention of integration its various acquisitions and then head to an IPO. The company had to scale back on its initial ambitions, after some of its many acquisitions went south, and integration and management issues dogged them, besides the macro mobile content market issues. For more on the company, read our dedicated company section here.

Posted in: Companies, Hands-On



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16 Responses:
  • From Bob Fri 03 Aug 2007 04:31 PM

    It’s about time!

  • From Johnny B Fri 03 Aug 2007 05:20 PM

    about time, these no-nothing over paid jerks were all talk, company sucks bad but sucks not as bad now, HOMO employees get your resums on craigslist, no investors are saving this one

  • From pink purple Fri 03 Aug 2007 08:41 PM

    Absolute idiot! Drove the company to the ground.

  • From Pat B. Fri 03 Aug 2007 09:04 PM

    Rampant executive turnover hampered Jonathan’s vision.  At least 17 VP and “C” level execs bailed on the company in the past two years.  Only Rousseau had the guts to stand behind Sacks ‘til the end.  Too bad Sacks didn’t get more time and support from the VC and board (and bitter employees like you lot!) to build a great company and reach IPO.

  • From Tony Blair Fri 03 Aug 2007 09:15 PM

    Now all the US jobs can be offshored to EMEA.

    Job Description:
    Brand Manager (To £35k) Macclesfield / London
    Responsibilities include product pipeline and new product development – from conceptual scoping, through business case building, then management of the idea through the npd stages into the market, the ongoing support and maintenance of the products.

    http://www.topjobs.co.uk/ShowJobInFull~ID~97850~sch~5.aspx

  • From Common Sense Fri 03 Aug 2007 10:55 PM

    Pat B - are you sure you last name isn’t Sacks? This company has a solid infrastructure but has been poorly since it changed it name to HandsOn from Mforma....good acquisition target this is great first step...beacuse the problems start at the top! Sacks was given way too long!

  • From Common Sense Fri 03 Aug 2007 10:57 PM

    Pat B - are you sure your last name isn’t Sacks? This company has a solid infrastructure but has been poorly run since they changed their name to HandsOn from Mforma....good acquisition target...because the problems start at the top! Sacks was given way too long!

  • From Mayhem Sat 04 Aug 2007 11:45 AM

    Muhahahaha!

    Common Sense, it’s not since they changed their name, it’s more since they hired Sacks!
    It’s great news, but too late. There is nothing really left there that would justify the amount of invested money thanks to Sacks.
    I wonder how the board feels about its performance. There are basic rules like firing the CEO after two or three bad quarters in a row. Sacks managed to mystify them for more than two years…

  • From memories Sat 04 Aug 2007 09:44 PM

    memoriessss ohh memoriess

    http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2006/05/01/story2.html?t=printable

  • From AOHell Sun 05 Aug 2007 07:41 PM

    I wonder why Barry wasn’t forced to resign from the board.  He was Jonathan’s accomplice in all of this.  Perhaps he and Jonathan are left on the board to say 对不起 duìbuqǐ to Mr. He.

  • From J. Sacks Mon 06 Aug 2007 11:33 AM

    My greatest moves to date --

    Hiring an engineering team resulting in a lawsuit.  I almost kicked Y!’ ass.

    Focusing on… wait I never focused on anything.

    Spending the summers at my home in CT.

    Hiring Lynne Crawford who helped push out all my hires and myself.  Yeah!

  • From HAHAHAHA Mon 06 Aug 2007 11:42 AM

    <<<< <<<<<<<<<<<
    Still, Sacks scoffs. “Glu is like a wart on my ass. It’s not even in my league.”
    Glu Mobile CEO Greg Ballard said the companies will have to wait until one or both go public to discover the truth.  “Some day, both of us will have our ‘locker room moment’ where we’ll see the real size of both companies,” he said. “When that happens it’ll be a lot easier to make those comparisons.”
    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

  • From Mayhem Mon 06 Aug 2007 11:58 AM

    And Lynn now has to auto lay her off grin

    Let’s be fair, Sacks has not killed WPT. Maybe he was drunk that day, but that was a brilliant visionary smart move (LOL as if he could do anything brilliant and visionary).

  • From You're Sacked Mon 06 Aug 2007 05:45 PM

    The company was poised to be the dominating force in the space.  The steady decline was almost timed to the minute of Sacks arrival.  Within a very short period his ridiculous vision drove people away at every level.  It’s amazing he was allowed to stay on for two years considering the irreparable damage he did quarter after quarter.  The majority of the blame rests on the board for their inaction.  The arrogance and incompetence was obvious and they did nothing to stop it. 
    The icing on the cake is Hands On’s ridiculous new HOMBRE initiative.  Talk about weak.  If their stories of a 2 year development cycle are true that would make this Sacks’ first initiative as CEO.  He’s the gift that keeps on giving.

  • From CGF Tue 09 Oct 2007 07:10 PM

    No more Chinese Business,J?

  • From A credible witness Tue 04 Dec 2007 02:12 AM

    It is absolutely amazing how many companies Jonathan Sacks has driven to absolute crap! If he hasn’t proved to the business world that talent means nothing and networking is everything then I quess he will land another important position at another doomed company. Put a bag over your head...here comes a Sack of Crap!

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