Interesting story on Bloomberg about the interrelations of the folks at the top of Stanford:
Stanford, 58, a graduate of Baylor University, a Baptist school in Waco, Texas, recruited his college roommate James Davis, 60, as his chief financial officer. Davis, in turn, brought in Chief Investment Officer Laura Pendergest-Holt, 35, whom he met at First Baptist Church in Baldwyn, Mississippi, where he was a Sunday school teacher, according to Jim Holt, Pendergest-Holt’s husband….
Religion was also a part of the boardroom culture at Stanford. Davis, based in Memphis, Tennessee, would routinely clasp the shoulders of employees, look them in the eyes and pray for them, according to one former executive. Another former staffer said Davis always opened meetings in the office with a prayer. …
Pendergest-Holt’s cousin Heather Sheppard is an “equity specialist” at the company and was Davis’s secretary, Sheppard said in an interview. Davis’s son, Zack, was also a “global equity specialist” working out of the Memphis office, according to his online profile and former employees. Zack Davis didn’t return a phone call seeking comment.
Folks in comments are suggesting that Davis was really close to both Pengergast-Holt and Sheppard. The same things are being hinted at out there on the web.
Finally ‘the truth shall set you free’ someone should have given that biblical passage to Jim Davis- he is scum… may he rot!
Confirms my worst suspicisions about over-the-top wear-it-on-the-sleeve evangelical blowhards who clasp folks by the shoulders and peer deep into their eyes while praying: you better have one hand on your wallet. Until you’ve been in one of those shoulder clasps, you just don’t know what the full impact of a serious case of the the Willies.
thirdsouth, You got that right. In my little space in Mississippi I have a phrase for it that I call Anglo-Saxon heathenism, or first generation out of the woods that found TV and God all in the same day.
Second the preceding comments. I call it “the Lord bit him on his ass.” Count your fingers after shaking his hand and keep your left hand on your wallet. He may pray for your soul and your salvation, but he’s just mapping a route to your bank account. Trust him no further than you would a big fat cottonmouth.
Reuters has a new story on Pendergest-Holt’s fast rise in the company (her super-duper “yeast” having been loyalty rather than acumen).
Greed seems to be an overriding characteristic in so many of these evangelicals….now I know there are some who truly believe, but my experience is as many driven by ego and greed as by deep spiritual beliefs.
Pendergest-Holt’s brother in law, Ken Weeden, was also employed in the Memphis office.
i guess they missed the thou shall not steal part