CHAPTER 7
Three days after his severance from Silver Foods Corporation, Andy received the second call from someone wishing to speak to him about a possible job offer. The first call had involved a position as operations manager for a food supply business that serviced a network of restaurants.
Andy said he could be interested subject to a salary and conditions.
When he said the offer was peanuts, the woman from a recruitment agency asked could he afford to say he wasn't interested in a salary of around $75,000 after being dumped from a premium company in the food supply chain? He switched off his phone without replying. What an unprofessional bitch.
The second call, four hours later, sounded far more interesting.
"Hi Mr Ash, it's Rebecca Marsh. I represent a company that is a competitor to the company you have just finished with and would like to talk to you generally about employment prospects. We have three vacancies, two existing and one coming available at the due of the month with the retirement of the incumbent because of ill health.
"Was the job toxic?"
"No of course not and... oh Mr Ash, I really hadn't expected humor from you."
"Why not?"
There was a pause, and she said, "I require this to be confidential."
"Very well, agreed."
"Our chairman was at a meeting last night and was chatting to the deputy-chairman of Silver Foods who during general chat told our chairman that you had a brilliant career severed by their chairman's inexplicable behavior. Your name wasn't mentioned but your title was stated. So when I was told about this I looked up Silver's web site, found the company executives list, got your name from there and went to your webpage and go your phone number from the page that hasn't been removed yet."
"Well done. You deserve to be talking to me."
"In that case would you be willing to meet me at 4:00 this afternoon as a bar to talk further?"
"Are you attractive?"
"Mr Ash!"
"I apologize. That reaction tells me you a sensitive."
"Yes indeed and that means sensitive to sexist comment."
"Well that's it Rebecca I guess. I have offended you and..."
Rebecca cut in. "The company comes before my personal feelings Mr Ash."
Andy was invited to nominate the bar and he chose one within walking distance of where he lived. He called Linda and she sounded pleased he'd received two calls already and said anyway she would not have called that evening because she had an appointment to get her hair colored.
"But you are a natural blonde. You should stay blonde."
"Perhaps I should have said highlighted. Blonde hair fades and loses luster."
"Gee and I obviously don't know everything."
"No you don't you conceited brat," she laughed.
Andy entered the bar and looked for a female in a dark business suit with auburn hair.
She was pretty, a bit over-weight and aged about fifty.
"You are damn attractive," he smiled.
She frowned and said Mr Ash?"
"Yes and I'll have a dry white wine please."
She hesitated and then ordered.
"The company I work for is North-West Food Packers and Distributors Ltd. The company executive chairman is Wallace Marsh and I'm his wife and personal assistant."
"In that case why aren't I appearing before the manager of HR?"
"My husband hires senior executives after I submit my recommendations. Eight years ago when Mr Marsh married me I resigned as head of the company's HR department.
"Okay, here's my drink and thanks. Let's talk business provided the position you have in mind comes with a salary of $175,000 minimum."
"It does."
They talked for more than an hour, Rebecca making notes.
"Well that's enough background and fills in the gaps from your CV that I downloaded from Silver's website but I have three areas of concern. The first is your academic qualifications. They are scarcely impressive, not even when you complete your masters shortly."
He remained silent.
"Aren't you going to argue that?"
"No because I have to agree with you but I am more than adequately equipped to perform in my chosen area of communications and promotions for agricultural-based industry."
Rebecca said, "The second concern is your relative lack of coalface experience as an executive."
Andy said, "The facts on that cannot be rebutted but I was promoted to create and head a new department based on my performance to date and because of their perception of my developing potential."
Rebecca said, "Well yes, I wouldn't expect senior management at Silver to be incompetent at selecting the right people for particular tasks."
"Your third concern?"
"Well please don't be offended. This is purely my gut feeling. On the phone I had this feeling you could be a compulsive womanizer."
"Well how could I be offended? You are engaged in assessing me for a senior position involving the ability to perform and to display leadership qualities and to be a person of charm and upstanding in character, etcetera. You have every right to make such an enquiry as being relative to this situation. Look do you know Linda Hoffman, director of communications, over at Silver?"
"Yes I do. I've met her several times at industry conventions and social functions."
"Well I began at Silver in her department and she will be a good referee for you. You have my permission to question her about my moral behavior insofar as she has observed and heard about me. Little happens at Silver without Linda knowing about it. She also accepted my request to act as my adviser in exit negotiations when I left Silver last week."
"So you weren't fired?"
"No not in the sense of committing any wrongdoing. I was caught in a palace revolution concerning our chairman. The acting chairman Bruce Allen had been unable to get his mitts on the chairman who apparently failed to return from Italy where I'd been with him on business. The chairman had pushed to get my department established because he believes in branding and the acting chairman, with the chairman AWOL, and claiming he had the backing of the board ordered my fledging department be abandoned and ordered that I had to be let go. Under the terms of my severance agreement, I'm unable to be specific about the reasons for my severance. I was upset at being cast aside but happy with the payout that included hefty compensation. Perhaps Mrs Hoffman can tell you more."
"Well it would be useful to talk to her. The position on offer with our company is director of communications and product branding."
"Wow Rebecca, that's really up my alley. I notice your glass is also empty."
Rebecca laughed and ordered two more drinks.
Linda called Andy next morning to say Rebecca Marsh had just called.
"So you are lining up to join the enemy?"
"Yeah and that's a laugh if I get the job."
"What does your agreement say about working for any rival company within 200 miles or whatever?"
"It doesn't. I checked for that before I went off to talk to Rebecca to avoid wasting time. I thought that was a standard clause in severance agreements."
"So did I. God I was almost killing myself giving Rebecca an assurance you were of sound moral character."
"Well aren't I?" Andy said indignantly and he to wait until Linda stopped hee-hawing.
"Oh you can be so funny," she said, and listened to Andy thank her for being so supportive.
