..............atomic batteries to power.............turbines to speed...............
This is Batman.
Remain calm, citizens.
I have been asked by a number of you to comment on the recent board appointments.
Colonel Robert T Hayden, USA (Ret.): Col Hayden has been deep into retirement for a long time. He retired from the Army in 1981 after 31 years. Assuming he was 20 when he joined, that puts his retirement at age 51. But that was 17 years ago. That puts his current age in the vicinity of 68. Amongst numerous decorations that army officers award each other, his Purple Heart actually does stand out as genuine and for this he deserves to be honored. He placed his life in the line for his fellow Americans.
I am also told by ex-Army people that the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, two Bronze Stars, an Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters, an Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters, and the Vietnam Medal of Honor are also awards of substance. But as for his Army Staff Medallion and Joint Chiefs of Staff Medallion, my contacts report that these are awards that army officers give each other at the top for being members of committees, as opposed to being the actual cannon-fodder which the other awards signify. But this is more a reflection of Harvard Scientific for having mentioned them. As for his being a member of the "Field Artillery Hall of Fame" . . . well, my army contacts burst out laughing when I queried them on it [What the hell is that???]. As for being a member of "MOWW": what is this? Finally, as HVSF's press release notes, Hayden is a member, and has served as president, of various retirement organisations in Florida.
Hayden, although a nice man, was well into retirement even before his HVSF board appointment. A member of HVSF's audit and compensation committees, he chairs neither. His appointment is purely a "courtesy" appointment by Tom Waite, for friendship/services past rendered . . . although at HVSF's current expense. He will make no decisions while at HVSF, nor will he be called upon to do so. His board appointment is a gracious end to a distinguished military career. It is unfortunate that it is to be tarnished by his association with Harvard Scientific.
Martin J. Hollaran's appointment, however, is a different cup of tea altogether. WOW!!!
Hollaran's background, as the press release points out, is in pedalling insurance. This guy is pure sales, hard sell (albeit he is also a retiree--the press release notes that he has over 40 years in sales; assuming a start age of 20, that also puts him into his sixties; but I am not going to age discriminate--I actually think this guy is virile when it comes to the hard sell, at selling people things they don't want). Like Hayden, the press release also lists his past awards: "winner of 24 National Leadership awards for Prudential, a two time winner of its Academy of Honor and a two time winner of the Citation Award given to Prudential's top 10-percent producers. Holloran also received the Distinguished Professional Service Award for New England". What the hell are these?? Prudential's Academy of Honor??? Oh, right.
This guy is different from Hayden and his Purple Heart, Silver Star, etc. Most of Holloran's awards (perhaps all) are part of an enormous award program that insurance companies have come up with to give their sales force motivation to continue selling for them. These award programs are necessary because the insurance salesman's job is unpleasant to begin with: intruding upon people in their evening family time either by telephone or by trespassing upon their private property, and trying to sell them intangible financial products by reason of guilt ("What would your family do if you were to die, or if you were to lose an eye or a limb"). Unpleasant at the best of times, the insurance salesman's job requires constant motivation lest he quit; thus the insurance companies have come up with a plethora, yea, a veritable flood of "awards" for salesmen, (not just "top monthly commission earner", but also "most improved sales", etc), so that virtually every salesmen, from the top guy (who needs no motivation anyway, right?), to the bottom guy (who needs the most), gets an award. Thus, all this nonsense of "winner of 24 National Leadership awards for Prudential, a two time winner of its Academy of Honor and a two time winner of the Citation Award given to Prudential's top 10-percent producers, the Distinguished Professional Service Award for New England".
Prudential's Academy of Honor??? Give me a break.
Nonetheless, as opposed to Hayden, Hollaran is seen an important adjunct to the company, and, as an experienced peddler, will be a key player in pushing shares onto the public.
What was also interesting was Barb Krilich's NOT being appointed to the board. Given her past service to HCCA, it is thought that her appointment to the board would have triggered various regulatory responses.
Batman |
