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February 09, 2010

 

Has Jamie Bedard Left Aberdeen?

Over the past week, I've gathered from multiple internal sources that Jamie Bedard is leaving Aberdeen (or has already left). But his name is still on the website as CEO. If anyone has any information on the specifics, please post a comment. For those who do not know Jamie (or James, as he sometimes goes by), he is a polarizing figure to say the least. On the one hand, we all should give him credit for transforming Aberdeen's business model from a pay-to-play advisory and whitepaper shop to an invaluable source of objective research and benchmarks in the procurement and supply chain world (while it might not be Hackett quality, I still believe Aberdeen produces invaluable quantitative material). I can also vouch for his ability to sell not only customers, but would-be employees and partners as well. However, on the other hand, Jamie's approach led to the departure of dozens of the best analysts in the business -- and burned more bridges than those that Sherman torched during his famous march across the American South.

- Jason Busch

Comments
One wonders if Beth Enslow would have left he she had known about the latest news ...
# Posted By About time ... | 5/26/07 1:13 PM
That is a distinct possibility. I wonder about a lot of analysts out there.... very smart people who were even smarter not be treated that way. Full stop!
# Posted By Former Aberdeen Analyst | 5/28/07 9:47 AM
Bedard hit the lotto when HH bought them out. Talk about buyers remorse. Time for him to move on and torture a new crew of employees at a different company.
# Posted By I'm going to THE CVS | 5/30/07 11:26 AM
Yes, it's true. Jamie resigned and will be leaving Aberdeen at the end of June. In a nutshell, Jamie is a classic case of an insecure, inexperienced manager who demoralizes and dehumanizes the "rising stars" around him in order to legitimize his own existence. It's truly pathetic to behold. You might liken it to the school-yard bully who was forever scarred by abusive parents. The irony is that Jamie's $5-million windfall from Harte-Hanks did not result from a single original thought or action of his own. The whole business model was built by his predecessors. Thankfully, at this point, the A-players have all aptly left Aberdeen for greener pastures. As for Jamie, rest assured he will spend the rest of his Earthly days stomping and hacking his way through the minor leagues of corporate America.
# Posted By ITK | 6/4/07 2:19 PM
A colleague of mine at TrueAdvantage came up with the best description of Jamie Bedard....he is a composite of every lousy manager you have ever worked for.
I find it truly amazing that this guy ever made it to the ranks of a first line manager, let alone a CEO. Jamie tries to act tough but he's not tough....he's just mean. He seems to get off on generating fear; like a true bully, it somehow makes him feel superior even though his ego is about as thick as an eggshell. Anyone who invests in this creep deserves to lose their money. Aberdeen was an accident. No one in their right mind would work for Jamie long enough to make anything he touched successful.
# Posted By Jamie Bedard has also recently left TrueAdvantage | 12/16/07 8:15 AM
For those looking for a clinical diagnosis of said individual, this book hits the mark:

http://www.amazon.com/Sociopath-Next-Door-Martha-S...
From Publishers Weekly

[Dr.] Stout says that as many as 4% of the population are conscienceless sociopaths who have no empathy or affectionate feelings for humans or animals. As Stout (The Myth of Sanity) explains, a sociopath is defined as someone who displays at least three of seven distinguishing characteristics, such as deceitfulness, impulsivity and a lack of remorse. Such people often have a superficial charm, which they exercise ruthlessly in order to get what they want. Stout argues that the development of sociopathy is due half to genetics and half to nongenetic influences that have not been clearly identified. The author offers three examples of such people, including Skip, the handsome, brilliant, superrich boy who enjoyed stabbing bullfrogs near his family's summer home, and Doreen, who lied about her credentials to get work at a psychiatric institute, manipulated her colleagues and, most cruelly, a patient. Dramatic as these tales are, they are composites, and while Stout is a good writer and her exploration of sociopaths can be arresting, this book occasionally appeals to readers' paranoia, as the book's title and its guidelines for dealing with sociopaths indicate.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From AudioFile
An outstanding audio production that plays out like a public television documentary, this timely piece by a psychotherapist uses colorful case histories to illustrate the major categories of people who have serious defects in their consciences. Some predatory, some covetous, others simply manipulative, they have no regard for the feelings or well-being of others and no internal brakes when it comes to acting out their largely self-serving antisocial agendas. Shelly Frasier is a wry and serious interpreter of this material, which is so fascinating in her hands and so seamlessly organized that it's nearly impossible to get away from it once you start listening. T.W. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
# Posted By Going Clinical ... | 12/16/07 11:23 AM
Who can share the details on the TrueStory from TrueAdvantage?- I thought I saw someone post on this with more detailson JB's role
# Posted By Bedarded | 12/27/07 10:17 AM
Jamie screwed over Trueadvantage! He forced the executive management team out then filled the rest of the employees full of his lies and false promises. He promised to bring over 3.5 million in funding to the company, but never did! One day he came in while the office was closed and cleared out his office and took his team with him! Three days after that TA closed its doors. Thanks Jamie….Merry Xmas!
# Posted By QuessWho | 12/28/07 12:32 PM
Jamie Bedard managed to put TrueAdvantage out of business in 90 days. He is, without doubt, not only the worst CEO I have ever come across but also the most repugnant human being I have ever met. Investors beware! Never, and I mean NEVER, believe a word of this snake-oil salesman's bullshit. He was called a "consummate liar" in DrunkenData.Com but he is more than that...he is a compulsive liar of the OJ Simpson ilk...he believes his own lies! He lies to his employees, he lies to his customers and he lies to his investors. He has no place in professional sales or management. Run from this creep like he was the devil himself!
# Posted By Butch | 12/29/07 10:45 AM
I just heard that some of my friends at TrueAdvantage posted some feedback on Jamie Bedard and I felt compelled to do the same lest anyone even think about getting involved with this man. He rules by fear...you can see it on the faces of the employees when he enters a room. Like some corporate Dementer, he sucks the enthusiasm, creativity and joy right out of the air. It took him only a few hours to make TrueAdvantage a horrible place to work.
Knowing that his reputation is catching up with him, Jamie will tell your Board or employees that there is "some negative press out there" as a result of his having to let go of the "dead wood." Don't you believe it! A number of us left of our own accord when we saw what a contemptuous monster he was. That, combined with his total lack of managerial ability and industry knowledge, made it obvious that there was no way that TrueAdvantage was going to succeed!
# Posted By No Thanks | 1/2/08 2:17 PM
It's good to see that leopards don't change their spots. I rarely wish anyone ill....but I do hope that Mr. Bedard never works again. He's an evil man. Pure and simple. A psychopath, sociopath...he's just nuts.
# Posted By Former Aberdeener | 1/4/08 6:47 AM
Wow! Everything I thought about this guy is true! I had to deal with him when he was at Aberdeen. What a jerk! He continually tried to screw us over and treated us like dirt....and we were his customer! I have met a number of people over the last year who were also either his customer or employee and no one had a good word to say about this guy. How can someone like him rise to any position of authority?
# Posted By Former Client | 1/6/08 6:05 AM
So the Bedard saga continues. I'm not surprised. The man is dark and dirty. He's charming when you first meet him. Slick. Suave. Convincing. But it only takes a short time to find out that it's all surface dressing to disguise his lies, contemptuousness and self-serving machinations. If he comes to your company, remember that he is only wearing the clothes of the savior when he is in reality the devil himself. Should you buy his line of bull only to be burnt, remember...we warned you about him. We warned you.
# Posted By Telemachus | 1/9/08 8:04 AM
I've been in sales for over 20 years and on earth for more than twice that long and I have never met anyone more vile or as obnoxious as Jamie Bedard. This man is evil. His day is not complete unless he has made someone feel worthless. I had the displeasure of working for this animal for several months and can honestly say that I was unable to find one decent thing about him...neither personally nor professionally.
# Posted By Withheld | 1/18/08 4:59 PM
I couldn't stand to listen to the Jamie Bedard bashing without adding my opinion. I worked for Jamie for about 7 months and in my opinion he is the most motivating person I have ever worked for. I respect Jamie because he is hard working, smart, and was always respectful to me. I believe that most people prefer to work with passive managers and Jamie certainly doesn't fit that bill. His aggressive style is unlike anyone I have ever worked with but I loved the guy. Just my two cents.
# Posted By former employee | 3/7/08 1:49 PM
Loved the guy? Perhaps you *are* the guy. Which would explain the love.
# Posted By Vivienne Vance | 3/14/08 7:44 AM
Aggressive? That's about the most positive spin I've heard. Abusive is more like it. If you're motivated by being demeaned, yelled at, yanked around, and publicly ridiculed, then YES, you would love working for Jamie. So either you are 1) Jamie, 2) David Southwick his trusty sidekick and sycophant, or 3) a masochist.
# Posted By Another Aberdeen Escapee | 3/18/08 7:17 PM
There is no way on earth that anyone was ever motivated by jamie bedard or "loved the guy." Are you kidding me? Unless your some souless fiend like Hienrich Himmler who loved Hitler, there is no way a normal human being could say that. It is obvious that posting came from jamie....he's done that before to try and save his image because he knows that no one in their right mind would hire him based upon what people who know him had to say. Jamie is the worst manager and one of the most vile people on the face of the planet. Just the thought of him is enough to give me an ulcer.
# Posted By JuJu | 3/28/08 7:29 AM
Jamie will try and slip in some positive statements about himself because his ego can't take it....he can only dish it out. The posting above came from jamie himself and the way you can tell is because he turns it around and says "most people want to work for passive managers." In other words, it's not his fault that he is an obnoxious prick, it's everyone else's fault for not wanting to take his abuse. "Motivating?" Spare me...jamie never motivated anyone....he terrorized them. I know people who actually suffered trauma as a result of jamie's management style. We're on to you, jamie, so give it up.
# Posted By Former Slave | 3/31/08 5:25 AM
You guys are a bunch of weenies. Jamie was and forever will be the best boss that I will ever have. Jamie is a true family man who is focused on doing the right thing. Anyone who says that he is a "bully" is just flat out sutbborn! Some people just don't like being wrong. I am happy that Jamie pushed me. If it was not for hime I would not be the most successfull worker in my company. I have met up with Jamie since he sold the company. When I went over to his house I saw the wonderful children that he has. He has raised them the same way he rised me, the RIGHT way. All of you losers who think he is an evil man should go jump in a lake. By the way JuJu, the Hitler reference is completely out of line. I would like to see you people tell that to his face. You wouldn't, because you couldn't, because that would be the wrong response. Jamie is an amazing man. Only few people in this world are as great as him. I love that wonderful man to death. He would never do anything that would but his family (yes including his workers) in harms way. You cannot look me in the eye and tell me that working for Jamie ended up be a negative in your career. Before you workers go out blogging your minds out think about what you are writing. Jamie was a great boss!
# Posted By Former Worker | 4/23/08 6:54 PM
Jamie's goal was never to turn Aberdeen around, but to reconstruct the company into a company that would seem superficially attractive to a buyer. And you have to give him his due. He did it. He fooled HH into thinking that Aberdeen would be a worthy acquisition and the ponied up millions of dollars as a result of the deception. He's a great salesman. That's what he is. That's all he'll ever be.

But he's a terrible manager. He unabashedly used people to achieve his goals. Like computers or shovels, Aberdeen employees were merely tools that he used and thew away, that he tried to control, to manipulate, to dominate, to bend to his will. He hired (and more often than not fired), tore people away from their roots, undercut the ground they stood on, yelled, berated, bullied, criticized, dominated, and did so cruelly, without thought, did 'what's best for the business' and in so doing, manufactured enemies faster than he manufactured profit.

It's clear that he wasn't liked by his crew, that he created enemies from which he will never escape. You can't ignore the decimation of Aberdeen's talent roster, and the duplicity with which Jamie regarded the exodus. He is a master of spin, of lies, of deception. He will always be a salesman. Nothing more.
# Posted By someone else | 4/28/08 9:23 AM
Oh, and I might add that he's not a very convincing writer either.
# Posted By someone else | 4/28/08 2:49 PM
"Former Worker" is obviously Jamie himself. As another post said, you can tell it's him by the way he turns it around and blames everyone else. The references to his kids are just his transparent way of trying to salvage his image. I have met soooo many people who have worked for jamie, were a customer or had some business dealings with him and NO ONE had a kind word to say about him. In fact, I heard language used about him that I would never repeat. He is, without a doubt, the most reprehensible person that I have ever met.
# Posted By Mad About You | 5/13/08 1:13 PM
you can clearly tell that "Former Worker" IS Bedard because, like Bedard, Former Worker can't spell.

Bedard's emails always had terrible grammer and misspellings - just like Former Worker's post here.

Jamie Bedard is the devil.
# Posted By Jamie Bedard is the Devil | 1/14/09 10:58 AM
Now Bedard has resurfaced at some new fly by night firm called Jazd.

Jaz'd! Markets, the leader in on-line B2B directory driven marketing as a service, today announced that it has recently closed an $8 Million Series A round of investment in the company. The round of investment was jointly led by Commonwealth Capital Ventures and Pilot House Ventures.

They say a sucker is born everyday....add Commonwealth Capital and Pilot House to those that are too smart to even do a simple Google Search on the people you give 8 million dollars to.

Good luck with that investment guys....lol
# Posted By Boston WATCH OUT | 3/24/09 10:41 PM
I don't feel sorry for the suckers that forked over the $8M to fund Bedard's Jaz'd Markets. I feel sorry for the abuse that the employees will have to take as the company limps into an impossible economy. Bloody likely that Commonwealth Capital and Pilot House will lose a bundle. But they deserve to for funding this clown. Jaz'd Markets my eye.
# Posted By Not Jaz'd | 3/27/09 12:29 PM
Jamie is promising the world at Jazd and as always not delivering. He tells constant lies about deals he has signed and revenue he is bring in and they are all made up.

The only thing worse than his lies is his arrogant attitude. Someone needs to smack him.

David Southwick is the VP of Sales there now (of course) and he is about as bright as a rock. He'll ask people to do his job cause he is Jamie's buddy.
# Posted By D P | 4/9/09 8:22 PM
Proof that Jamie Bedard is still telling lies - Jazd was supposed to launch their first directory this Spring according to a press release. Doesn't appear that it happened. Hard to launch a product when your staff is turning over.

Proof that he can't spell - the company name. Jazd? And Jamie couldn't even get the .com domain for his silly new company name.

VC guys.... Jamie Bedard has never successfully started anything but a fight. Liquidate the business NOW!!!
# Posted By Truth be told | 6/3/09 10:56 AM
The multiple executive hires at Jazd imply a Potemkin company. Jamie Bedard and his underlings are hoping that their sham of a company gets bought out and turns a profit. Lies. Watch out.
# Posted By Expose It | 6/18/09 2:42 PM
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