More information to follow. Check back frequently for updates.
- Update 1 – 1/9/09 6:40 am PT -Initial list of analysts
- Update 2 – 1/9/09 7:19 am PT – Added name to list
- Update 3 – 1/9/09 8:24 am PT – Initial analysis added
- Update 4 – 1/9/09 11:19 am PT – Statement from AMR CEO added
- Update 5 – 1/12/08 5:36 am PT – Added name to list
- Update 6 – 1/12/08 2:24 pm PT – Added three names to list
Statement from Tony Friscia, CEO, AMR Research
Via email — “It is true that we eliminated some positions (about 10%) across each department in the company due to the economy. While this includes several research positions, we are not eliminating any coverage areas. This also does not impact client services. We are eager to see the economy turn around soon.”
Analysis
This appears to be a case of a firm retrenching to its core coverage and market. In late 2007 AMR started expanding on its enterprise applications and supply chain base to address more horizontal topics (e.g.,see Interview with AMR CEO Tony Friscia and VP Jonathan Yarmis on AMR’s new “emerging and disruptive technologies” service). Expansions like this require not just analyst horsepower, but also the ability to get the sales force to understand the new selling propositions and prospect base for the new research. This retrenchment could be an acknowledgement that this type of expansion in this economic client is not something that AMR could afford.
One interesting data point is the tone in the AMR First Thing Monday podcasts. AMR CEO Tony Frisca and CRO Bruce Richardson have been very, very negative about the the economic situation for quite some time. Perhaps this negativity reflected the sales challenges that AMR was experiencing.
Analysts reported caught in layoffs
- Bois, Rob
- Brown, Dave
- Geishecker, Lee
- Goodhue, Chris
- Hojlo, Jeff
- Kasabian, Dave
- Verma, Koppel
- Yarmis, Jonathan
SageCircle strategists are only a phone-call away when you need to understand the implications of analysts ecosystem news. Click here to learn more about SageCircle’s Advisory Services. To talk with a strategist call 503-636-1500.
[…] applications Carter Lusher at SageCircle reports that industry analyst firm AMR is shedding around 10% of its staff while Gartner is losing 117, or about 3% of its people. AMR looks to be retrenching to […]
[…] firms, notified the SEC that it was reducing headcount by 117 this week. This was followed by SageCircle reports of a reduction at AMR Research. Not surprisingly, the double-serving of downsizing news sent […]
[…] AMR Research (January 2009) […]
[…] SageCircle interprets it as likely true and not spin to make AMR look better. Certainly AMR had a large layoff in the first week of January. In addition, Tony and Bruce were both ‘gloom gus’es during […]