(Associated Press via NewsEdge) A former executive at online auctioneer eBay has come out of a short-lived retirement to take a job leading Silicon Valley startup LiveOps, which contracts with companies to handle customer service and sales calls.
Maynard Webb, 51, left his position as eBay's COO in August after seven years with the company. He previously served as chief information officer of PC maker Gateway.
Webb was named as chief executive of LiveOps, a Palo Alto-based company whose technology routes customer service calls to 9,000 work-from-home agents around the country. He replaces Bill Trenchard, who will continue as chairman of the board.
Webb said he wanted to be part of a fast-growing company, touting LiveOps' potential to fundamentally change the way people work from remote sites.
'It frees people up to work anytime, anywhere,' he said. 'It's creating a marketplace for work where one didn't used to be.'
The company is privately held and does not release financial data, but Webb said revenues have doubled in each of the last three years. He said work-at-home customer service agents are cheaper than traditional call center workers and have higher retention rates.
Webb said LiveOps reminds him a little of the early days of eBay.
'EBay was a fabulous run, but I still want to make a big difference in the world,' he said. 'While I hate leaving my family so soon, I think it's another big opportunity.'
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