Smelling like a Rose

Lloyd Ward should probably get the biggest blame for the demise of Maytag in Newton. Let's just take a look at his stellar career when the letters CEO are added. From August 1999-November 2000 Ward was at the helm when the company stock dove from $70 a share to $28.19 a share on the day he departed. January 2001 Ward joined iMotors, an online seller of certified used vehicles, as CEO and Chairmen. By April 2001 iMotors had run out of gas and ceased operations. Floating once again to the top, Ward joined the U.S. Olympic Committee as CEO and Secretary General. His 16 months there saw controversy ranging from ethics violations to travel expenditures and management practices. Chiefly, trying to help a power company with ties to his brother obtain a $4.6 million contract to supply generators to the 2003 Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic. Obviously his time at Maytag taught him nothing about laundering money. For the last couple of years, according to BusinessWeek, Ward has been, "bankrolling Atlanta-based Body-Blocks Nutrition Systems, maker of energy drinks and bars under the N Motion brand." Bankrolling? It appears he's better at handling his own money than he is at others. Or maybe his wife Lita is CEO at home. Ward is confident this endeavor will succeed, telling BusinessWeek, “I know consumer products”....Yeah, Sure!!