Interesting discussion string, hearing from both sides of the fence, corporate loyalists and Ventana traditionalists. Clearly a cadre of people, some long timers and some newbies, don't like the changes and are moving on. Roche has a pretty deep talent pool to pull replacements from, but Ventana's business is a different situation which the corporate types aren't used to (this isn't the clinical chemistry or EIA market segments, where it was a simple matter of steamrolling over everybody else). The current state of the business will dictate whether or not Basel is willing to open its pocketbook to help Ventana address its problems, or all of diagnostics for that matter. As correctly pointed out the pharma business is what is driving the stock price, so that is where the investment bias will be to.

Isn't the Roche stock price reflective of the pharma side's maturing pipeline, rather than diagnostics? Let's keep it in perspective as well, since the price is returning to the level of old not new highs

Clearly one's cleverness needs to be more "simple," in order for people like you to appreciate. Instead you liberals make everything a race/sex issue (you brought up the issue of race I should point out, I only mentioned nationality and never brought up colour). My fashion reference only points to specific people, in the context of what was said. Those of us trying to build successful careers within successful companies are blind to the labels you point to. These people should be fired due to their incompetance. Who cares about their skin tone, nationality or gender other than you?

Get educated, then we'll welcome you back to the rumour mill

Had the person to who this referred not been of Asian descent, maybe the cleverness would have shown through. Instead, together with the "skirts" reference, the "white-male only" attitude still comes through loud and clear.

I don't think the problems are due to the "suits" or "skirts" per se, but they certainly haven't helped matters. The changes that have been made since their arrival have hindered not helped address the numerous challenges faced both internall and externally.

The "made in Taiwan" comment is pretty clever, as it refers not so much to country of origin, but to the fact that he's not the "real thing,"

Wow - That comment was just outstanding! "Made in Taiwan" - really? The ignorance and sour grapes on this stream are just amazing. Funny thing is - Roche left Ventana alone for quite a while. The curent situation is not the result of Roche "suits" Just take a look at where Roche sits now with its stock price - that is not the coincidence. Maybe if the "suits" entered earlier - the results would be different.

Head of Patents leaving too, yikes I thought the promotion was enough of a bribe for her to stick around.

I guess the Swiss Gen Counsel MA brought in wasn't a solid-goldenboy after-all, only gilt. That's what you get when you bring in one of the Roche "suits" (form but no substance). What is MB going to do now that his department is decimated?

Who's next the high powered, charismatic, industry veteren CFO MA brought in when the last one fled to another part of Roche Diagnostics, after only a few months on the job ? Is he the real deal or only a "made in Taiwan" copy?

Wasn't he "removed" from BD a couple of year's back?

Guess it helps to have friends (DW) in high places, or perhaps just another shrewd chess move on DW's part to knock the Queen off the board, by making her look even worse than she does already.

Great comment. The lack of leadership from MA and the VLT is not only striking but they despise anyone at the Director level that will show initiative or challenge their thinking. Their priority is self promotion and politics. They are in their ivory tower completely disconnected from the reality.
A company that drives smart people like BC away and promote JF to head of BD and Planning is doomed to fail!

Ultimately that was his undoing, how dare he know his stuff. He another recent resignee, were the ones that pushed ADS through, despite VPs not thinking it was worth the effort.

What is messed up is that various people "in the know" from NACO were fond of saying BC "didn't fit the culture" Blah blah blah - whenever people say this it is so transparent that they have no value-add and believe merely by saying "not a cultural fit" or "leadership" that automatically makes them a cultural fit or a leader. Bill was one of only a handful of people who knew what the F he was talking about marketing-wise. The guy is a stud.

The continued departure of top talent can't be viewed favorably by the mothership and will only fuel speculation that the Tucson facility is on the way to being shuttered and relocated to a locale with a deeper workforce labor pool.

Another Director leaving. BC from Discovery. He is smart and speaks up. Two qualities that are not valued at Ventana. Good luck to him.

Head of Patents abandoning the ship and D-Day happening next week, rough waters heading into Memorial Day weekend.

The appointment of weak managers, refects even weaker executive management as they don't want their own inadequacies visible to all. Of course the "Roche way" is to hire from the well of "prospectives" or other internal leadership programs, that way they can't be blamed if the manager doesn't work out. This continued corporate inbreeding has left the company with a cadre of psychophants, with no real-life experience, no penchant for risk taking and no aspirations other than stabbing their colleagues in the back and climbing the ladder before their own weaknesses are revealed. We brits have a saying for this, "creeping rot."

Get used to the weak managemnt when you come to Roche. You will find many "young" mangers who have earned their positions based on who they know not what they know. It will be obvious to you when that fresh face manager sits you down and share with you that you "need to be more strategic" and you ask for clarification and you get a blank stare back. I feel sorry for the hard working people in Tucson being assimilated into the Roche Collective. Truth is if you have skills go find a differnt place to work. If you have limited talent and prospects Roche is a great place for you. Work on your political skills and dont worry about doing a good job.

Just the same LM has to be laughing at the bumbling circus Northwest of town. That nest of snakes that makes up the VLT are too busy plotting for the departure of MA, to acknowledge that sales continue to languish and their product pipeline is drier than the surrounding desert. Of course "fixes" are well underway, with new landscaping, cheerleading banners everywhere and the MA propaganda machine piping videos and photos of our fearless leader everywhere we turn.

Not CG, JP and JS are fueling this company and LM has some skin in the game too (all that $ they made from the Roche acquisition).

Doesn't help morale seeing LM on the CBS evening news pleading for skilled employees to come work for the biz he and CG relo'd to Tucson.

Sales are ok. Thanks to Dako and Leica for being such mediocre competitors. That won't last though.
No communication about how many people are losing their jobs in the reorg but quite a few are impacted.

This is all you need to know about VMS

I just Googled "Ventana Medical Systems" and found this site.

MA can't get the boot fast enough. Sick of the idiocy

How many jobs are being cut?

As the skilled assets resign their positions are being backfilled with folks who can't abandon the NACO ship fast enough. A better question to ask is how long before MA joins or is "asked" to join the Exodus

How long before redundant sales positions are gone?

Already gone overseas, where it is known as Roche Tissue Diagnostics. It like yesterday's announcement that RAS will be shut down is going the way of the dodo bird.

Is the VENTANA name going away too?

Sales has been seriously impacted. Look at last years numbers and this years lost accounts. Sales knows they can't hit the numbers they were given, so they are jumping at the many other opportunities out there. This ship is sinking faster than I could have ever imagined. Morale is way down and this is crazy thinking how good things were prior to Roche.

Has the upheaval had impact on sales? VMS looks very strong from outside

Where's BA headed?

Losing one of the major assay development scientists as well, this will be a "Birte-pill" for them to swallow.

Class act, no wonder he didn't stick around

Ha! I know some of the people you guys hired, Roche just got smart and realized it was time to dump Tucson.

Just pointed to this site and truly humbled by the comments made.

Thanks to all, see ya' on the other side!

JS

Indeed they are clueless. They prefer people who don't know what they are talking about but will always have an opinion on anything and will not be shy about expressing it and forcing it on other people. In high school we used to call them bullies. MA calls this being aggressive.

End of an era. JS one of a kind and the sad thing is the suits are CLUELESS.

At last an opinion I can agree with on this board, Roche Dx's loss of JS is a huge loss to the company. His hire sparked innovation across the BA's licensing and BD "suits," and an appreciation of risk taking, vision and "going with your gut."

Big loss for us. JS has more BD experience than everyone else one the BD team combined. And that includes his current boss.

Like a canary in a mine, JS's departure marks real trouble in paradise." His BD skill set in this industry is so unique, he need only pick up the phone and then cherry pick the best offer.

Big loss at VMSI...do they know where he has flown to?

We ALL will be assimilated Borg style, I am afraid. More fun to come

Naco is first, then MA will lose her job because all the failures, then Roche will paratroop in the change agents

So is ALL of Tuscon moving?

Rumor is just NACO

..the German car

Volkswagon?

So is ALL of Tuscon moving?

.the German car?

You need to be less cryptic than this my friend. I don't get it.

..the German car

all of manufacturing

JS is one. Who is the second you mentionned?

What are the programs being impacted the most?