Point2 Technologies has just announced that Saul Klein will take over the helm as CEO on Jan 1, 2008.
Mr. Klein brings a wealth of experience and knowledge. Most know Saul as the head honcho of Internet Crusade / RealTown — a post he will retain. He is also the creator of the ePRO designation.
There has been quite a bit of turnover in the Point2 management ranks of late (much discussed on this very blog here, here, here and here.). I suspect Mr. Klein will bring much insight and vision, as well as needed stability.
I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Saul recently (at the Zillow reception at the Vegas NAR convention – he won’t remember me from Adam) and he’s a really sharp guy. Well respected in the real estate world too.
Nice move Point2!
UPDATE:
From the Saskatoon Star Phoenix (local paper)
Dustin opines.
.
[tags]Point2 Technologies, Point2 Agent, Saul Klein[/tags]
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Sounds like a good fit to me and it should help alleviate some fears caused by the recent semi-mass exodus.
I have my own personal gripes about Point2, but it’s hard to ignore the level of online listing syndication that they offer.
Saul is a great choice for a leader by P2 but the bigger question is whether Saul will move from lovely San Diego to the frozen hinterlands of Saskatoon or will he work from one of the most beautiful climates in the United States.
I had the opportunity to sit in on a lunch meeting today with the Point2 team. Saul attended by phone, and let me tell you, he is pumped and he was very warmly welcomed by the team. Saul says he intends to spend about a week out of each month in Saskatoon, starting in January. As he suggested, his willingness to travel from California to Saskatoon in the middle of winter should say something about his commitment. He’ll fit in nicely with this great group of people.
We had sushi. It was my first time.
Norm! You’ve never had sushi before?!? So, what did you think?
I think this is fabulous news. (the Saul Klein thing, not your sushi virginess)
Having been to Saskatoon in the dead of winter my only advice for Saul would be…. dress warmly.
Hi Jay,
What do you mean I won’t remember you from Adam…I’m old, but not that old. You must have me mistaken for my partner John Reilly…now he is old
Thanks for the kind words.
Saul
Thanks for stopping by Saul! I’m really looking forward to your coming to Point2. I’m a big fan of the product, and the people there are fabulous!
Go Army!
Jay,
No, never. I typically begin to eat with my eyes and I have to say that there isn’t a lot of visual appeal in sushi for me. Linda Jame offered to change the menu when she invited me over, but of course, I couldn’t let her do that. It probably doesn’t make my list of favorite foods, but I’m glad I tried it.
Saul, you can take some comfort in the fact that the forecast is calling for above normal conditions at the beginning of January. It’s supposed to be a balmy 17.6 degrees on the 1st of the month. But hey, it comes and goes.
Good luck!
Norm, would that 17.6 be Celsius, nice or Fahrenheit, brrrrr.
Can’t wait to see how Saul “Cutting Edge” Klein incorporates a listserv into the P2A platform.
CREB,
Sorry. Coverted from -8C, and trust me when I say that qualifies as a beautiful day at this time of the year. It can hit -65 (with the wind chill) in January, But let’s not mention that to Saul.
Snow is a four letter word in my vocabulary. But I am committed.
As for the comment on Listservs, we use the technology that allows us to reach our audience. We never were, as my wife use to say, “technology snobs.” It is about “what works.”
I was at a meeting theo other day when a REALTOR mentioned to me that she refused to text. I told her, no problem, this is a free country, and you just refused to work with all of those potential clients who do text.
Saul
Norm, I was just fooling around with you, I used to work for a Canadian firm and had to visit for a week in January and July, I preferred July.
Saul, welcome to P2.
Saul, forums would have worked. And they would have worked better. And they would have allowed you to reach a bigger audience. The listserv kept agents from participating.
Lots of things ‘work’. That doesn’t mean it is the best tool for the job. Not being a “technology snob” sure served us well with you as chair of the Info & Tech Forum at NAR. How it serves a company that seeks to be cutting edge should be interesting to watch.
Norm- Here in Texas, we call sushi bait. Tasty bait, but it can catch a nice big Texas Gulf Red Snapper.
I wonder how things will go with P2 being heavily greased Microsoft and RealTown a PHP based offering.
This may be good, but there will be rough waters ahead! P2 lost a lot of idea-men!
Best of luck to the EMPLOYEES!
Here’s what I don’t get. The issue HAD TO be known by the executive team of Point2 for what, 3 years? And the resignation comes just before his sentencing. The brother co-founder (this IS a family business is it not?) is still President, and they hire a part-time high profile ceo.
So, doesn’t anyone else think that the ethical behavior of the executive team is really perverse? Three years hoping the issue goes away? Retain a CEO for 3 years whose only defense was the willing participation of a 14-yr old. Any self-respecting board would have asked him to resign 2-3 years ago, not days before his sentencing.
If they had truly cleaned house, and fired the team that showed such terrible ethical judgment, I’d view this completely differently. But the brother still runs the business, and “hired the ceo”. Hmmm.
To me, until the core ethical roots are extricated, I’d not do business with them. The victims are also the high quality team they have amassed who are stuck with this overhang.
am i missing something?
I am reserving judgement regarding all these changes. I’m familiar with Klein through e-Pro but other than that know very little about him.
Time will tell how P2 succeeds going forward, whether it will be a company bogged down in politics and internal chess-playing, isulated from its customers, or a dynamic company constantly innovating, living by the principles of a learning organization.
Too many times the former evolves and shuts down the genius few who see with different eyes. I hope P2 is the latter.
Mike from Savannah
“Tom Jones” wrote: “So, doesn’t anyone else think that the ethical behavior of the executive team is really perverse?”
I don’t see how the actions of one person, outside the scope of his job, qualifies the entire executive team as perverse or justifies firing the entire team. The fact that the brother is there means little. Wendell is responsible for his actions, not his brother, nor anyone else.
I have no idea what anyone knew three years ago. I also don’t know Canadian law, but in the US there is a presumption of innocence. I suspect the same may hold true in Canada. If every person accused of a crime was fired, then an awful lot of people would be unemployed.
I am not condoning what Wendell did, but to drag everyone else into it and label the entire executive team as “perverse” and imply they all hoped it would just go away doesn’t seem quite right to me.
I agree with you, Jay. It’s not fair to speculate and tarnish the whole group for the actions of one man.
To me, that part of the story is over, unless someone has some facts that would shed new light on the matter. I can imagine that whole episode was difficult to handle, and to criticize from afar without all the facts doesn’t strike me right, either.
Jay,
Trust me Saul remembered you. I had the chance to speak with him that evening as well. Over the years I’ve spent a little time in the RealTalk listserv and had the opportunity to have brief exchanges with Saul. Not only did he remember me, he shared something with me that blew my mind. I think he said there are over 13,000 agents on the listserv and to this day he and John still read each and every post every day. Amazing. I wonder what this does with regard to some of the offerings he has, it would seem to me that some of them overlap. Is there any word of merging his current efforts with Point2? Saul, any plans to put John Giamo to work on Point2? It would seem to me his Homeseekers experience would certainly lend itself well.
Hi Michael,
We have over 40,000 on RealTalk, and in addition, we have 2200 on PresidentsTalk, 1200 on MLSInformation, 250 on MLSTalk, 1300 on AETalk, 35,000 on e-PROTalk, 450 on Education DirectorsTalk, 400 on REEALINE, and assorted others. John and I spell one another and review every post, in the neighborhood of 500 posts per day, and some days over 1000 posts per day.
The posts are managed in a system we designed and programmed (we have over 40 employees at IC).
People think we are crazy, I say we are passionate. We know what we want to do and we do it. Our early model is explained in Netgain (Hagel).
Remember, I still travel 3 weeks per month, 5 days per week (http://Calendar.InternetCrusade.com).
As for John G, we have known him for years…yes, from the HS days, and he works with us in the acquisition of advertisers and yes, he is a talent. No plans at all yet to use anyone additional at P2, I have a lot of ground work to do initially, but I rule nothing out at this time.
As for my memory, my wife of 27 years is still amazed at some of the stuff I remember. I am the “Historian” for my USNA Company, Class of 1972…I remember somethigs we would like to forget
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.
Saul
Can’t wait to see how Saul “Cutting Edge” Klein incorporates a listserv into the P2A platform. http://www.world-estate.com
best must read article.