The answer to 'what was wrong with 2e2’ would depend upon where you sat in 2e2…your point of view would be very different if you sat in the Bus Apps team in 2e2, the sales team, Technology or somewhere in Delivery & Opps.
I've tried very hard to remove emotion from my opinion piece and, as you'll know, the collapse at 2e2 wasn't due to a single individual failing or an act of malice: Everyone from Group Board, UK Exec down to Snr Management had some part to play. UK exec were clearly dysfunctional through '12. Oversight from Group board limited until far too late and they tried running the business without a UK MD. Snr Management put up with an external UK exec who had walked into the business and thought they knew best - many of us could have taken a stand but didn't protest loudly enough. The banks and VCs were at best complacent with their investment. Non-exec directors added little / no oversight. And don't get me started on the approach of FTI once Administration had started.
That decision to stay at 2e2 for 13 years had nothing to do with 'Cult of Terry' - Prime / 2e2 gave me lots of opportunities and a wealth of experience that I'm grateful for. Nearly everyone was aware of the funding structure of 2e2, the 'excitement' at covenant tests, the lack of payment of suppliers at certain points. Some people (IE poster R69 above) decided that 2e2 wasn't for them and moved on. I made the personal judgement that life would be more exciting in 2e2...And I was right, just not in the way I expected.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
