Post by Rayne Campbell on Jul 13, 2013 21:58:12 GMT -5
BEHIND THE CORPORATE VEIL
Even in the farthest reaches and the most barren corners of the world, it isn't easy to miss the recent news regarding Ark Industries.
That's fair enough, considering the corporation was behind the biggest 'accident' - as determined by the United States Senate - the world has ever seen, plus a fair few others both rumored and confirmed. It's been said that Ark was in bed with US government heads, and also that they were working in complete opposition to the government's wishes. Lots of things have been said. It was difficult to know where the technology firm stood exactly, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Americans felt the same way.
It seems no one quite expected Ark's acquisition. It's been called a 'hostile takeover,' but it was clearly swift, and by some records fairly easy considering that the firms that acquired it were at or below its own size depending on how you counted it in one case, and far smaller in the other. The takeover actually happened kind of quietly too, aside from the ruckus it seemed to have caused on Capitol Hill and in various other governments. On the outside, there was no change to Ark's operations at all, not that anyone really knew what those operations were before or after.
To those who were aware of the takeover, the corporation's search for a new CEO is not news. Ark's new leadership consisted of the two heads of its acquiring companies - Lucius Kilvayne, now the CEO of the Kilvanye Corporation; and Gabriel Constant, the sole controller of Constant Design & Development. Anyone who hasn't heard of the former must have been living on the sea floor for the past few decades. The conglomerate has many smaller firms within it, including pharmaceutical, energy, and financial properties, and was one of the largest companies in the world even before picking up Ark. Constant's company was a little harder to pin down, but I managed to get some information on it by traveling to some of the many places its work has affected.
The development firm specializes in government contracts, taking on those as well as civilian projects in order to improve the living conditions in many communities. Examples include irrigation systems, city planning, improvements to infrastructure, and local resource development, such as drilling for oil and natural gas or even shrimping. The success of these programs vary widely, with some of their beneficiaries threatening my life just for asking about the company. However, one thing seems to be very common - all of those communities are deeply in debt to Constant, and most have defaulted on the loans extended to them. That seems to be the most compelling reason why the Kilvayne Corporation added Constant's firm to its conglomerate, aside perhaps from streamlining the processes regarding running Ark.
Which brings us back to Ark, of course. Kilvayne and Constant serve as co-chairmen of the board of directors, which in this context means their word is law. The original board of directors still remains in place, and still has its usual powers, but it's difficult to argue how many of them are just figureheads, or familiar faces to keep the public reassured. Its lower structure seems to be the same also, as no one has reported any significant shifts aside from a departure or two. What is new is the recently hired CEO.
It looks like the search to fill that position has been concluded, as Ark announced its new chief executive officer yesterday morning. Its press release was fairly standard issue. What surprised many in the business world was the choice himself. Almost no one had heard of Christian Moynahan, and there's a reason for that; he's only thirty-three years old (which is young for a CEO), and he doesn't have much managerial experience. Not the sort that shareholders typically look for in a CEO, at least.
Moynahan does have a degree from a renowned business school, and seems to have worked in many of the fields Ark expands into. And for a company as widely reviled (albeit as much as it's loved, arguably), it certainly helps that from what we've seen, the man seems to be physically attractive; it's easier for the public to relate to a pretty face. We'll get to see for ourselves soon, though; Ark will hold a press conference on Monday and then a town hall meeting - a fairly surprising announcement in itself - the next day. (I will not be present; don't look for me.) Whether they'll actually give us any information on their future plans or their political stances or anything at all will be interesting to see.
Let's have some opinions. Is anyone planning to attend the town hall meeting (or the press conference)? (The town hall meeting is supposed to be held on UCLA's campus at six P.M.) If not, will you watch it as it streams live? What do you think will be said at the meeting - and what do you think of these developments overall?
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