For AOL co-workers, AOL Alumni, family and friends I have been unable to reach -- Monday, 8/1/2011 will be my last day with the company.
After seven great years with AOL, it is time for me to ride off into the sunset. I joined AOL in July 2004. While posting status updates to facebook during our 5/20/2011 Aol Monster Help Day, I noted: "I joined AOL to work with a wide array of people, learn from them, and grow as a person." As I continued to update my status that day, it became clear to me that that goal had been accomplished many times over, in new and more spectacular ways every year I worked with AOL.
I have had the opportunity to work with four CTOs, a range of EVPs, SVPs and VPs, and much of the Technologies leadership over the past few years. The range and depth of experiences as Chief-of-Staff, Technical Director, and Program Director have surpassed my wildest dreams.
This year, I have been very fortunate to be able to reconnect with many of my colleagues from across the Technologies organization, and to meet many new colleagues. It has been my pleasure to work with you all. And, it has been an honor to be able to share in the effort to turn AOL around.
But, the time has come for me to move on; new adventures await.
As I head out, I'll close with a few thoughts – those I offered just last week in the recent "Great Place to Work" survey – if it were left to me, AOL would be ranked #1. I have been accused of being an optimist; and for my vision of the future, I suppose that is true. But, those who have worked closely with me know me as a pragmatist. I believe that both attitudes are present in this response to the survey:
> Is there anything unique or unusual about this company that makes it a great place to work? Please give specific examples.
With Tim Armstrong's arrival in 2009, it was clear that AOL would finally change in meaningful ways; ways that would lead the company, its employees, products, and customers forward into the future.
With the mission "to connect, inform and entertain the world," a clearly defined set values, executive management accountability, a clear brand strategy and effective portfolio management, and clear business and product strategies, as a public company in 2010, AOL was finally poised to become the greatest turn-around story in the history of the Internet.
In 2011, with the refinement of those strategies, and increasingly effective execution to bring great products and services to life, AOL is more alive than ever before.
> If you could change one thing about this company to make it a better place to work, what would it be?
Show, for consecutive quarters, significant revenue and profit growth to finally prove to the world that the AOL turn-around is complete!
If we’re not already connected, you can find me at:
http://about.me/mark.poesch
http://www.facebook.com/mark.poesch
http://www.linkedin.com/in/markpoesch
I wish you, AOL, our leadership, and all our employees nothing but the best. I am proud to join the ranks of AOL Alumni. And I know that you will all continue to do great things with AOL!
Cheers!
Mark
After seven great years with AOL, it is time for me to ride off into the sunset. I joined AOL in July 2004. While posting status updates to facebook during our 5/20/2011 Aol Monster Help Day, I noted: "I joined AOL to work with a wide array of people, learn from them, and grow as a person." As I continued to update my status that day, it became clear to me that that goal had been accomplished many times over, in new and more spectacular ways every year I worked with AOL.
I have had the opportunity to work with four CTOs, a range of EVPs, SVPs and VPs, and much of the Technologies leadership over the past few years. The range and depth of experiences as Chief-of-Staff, Technical Director, and Program Director have surpassed my wildest dreams.
This year, I have been very fortunate to be able to reconnect with many of my colleagues from across the Technologies organization, and to meet many new colleagues. It has been my pleasure to work with you all. And, it has been an honor to be able to share in the effort to turn AOL around.
But, the time has come for me to move on; new adventures await.
As I head out, I'll close with a few thoughts – those I offered just last week in the recent "Great Place to Work" survey – if it were left to me, AOL would be ranked #1. I have been accused of being an optimist; and for my vision of the future, I suppose that is true. But, those who have worked closely with me know me as a pragmatist. I believe that both attitudes are present in this response to the survey:
> Is there anything unique or unusual about this company that makes it a great place to work? Please give specific examples.
With Tim Armstrong's arrival in 2009, it was clear that AOL would finally change in meaningful ways; ways that would lead the company, its employees, products, and customers forward into the future.
With the mission "to connect, inform and entertain the world," a clearly defined set values, executive management accountability, a clear brand strategy and effective portfolio management, and clear business and product strategies, as a public company in 2010, AOL was finally poised to become the greatest turn-around story in the history of the Internet.
In 2011, with the refinement of those strategies, and increasingly effective execution to bring great products and services to life, AOL is more alive than ever before.
> If you could change one thing about this company to make it a better place to work, what would it be?
Show, for consecutive quarters, significant revenue and profit growth to finally prove to the world that the AOL turn-around is complete!
If we’re not already connected, you can find me at:
http://about.me/mark.poesch
http://www.facebook.com/mark.poesch
http://www.linkedin.com/in/markpoesch
I wish you, AOL, our leadership, and all our employees nothing but the best. I am proud to join the ranks of AOL Alumni. And I know that you will all continue to do great things with AOL!
Cheers!
Mark
