We’re all getting used to the idea that our personal information information is now public to the extent that we share it on social networks and elsewhere on the Web. Corporate data about people’s roles and functions within different organizations is similarly becoming increasingly public. All you need to do is search on LinkedIn to get a person’s entire work history or Jigsaw to find their direct contact information. Now you can add TheOfficialBoard, a contact database which goes one step further. It shows the organization charts for 20,000 of the largest companies, so you can not only look up an executive like Mark Zuckerberg but also see who reports to him or her.
Org charts are not always the most reliable indicator of power within a company, but they do serve as a handy way to visualize the power relationships within specific corporate networks. At launch, TheOfficialBoard is hit or miss in terms of its comprehensiveness and accuracy. (See Google. Where is Marissa Mayer? Does Joshua Schachter really report directly to Eric Schmidt? Update: he doesn’t). But it will get better over time. Like Jigsaw, it relies on its members to fill out the data about each company. And most of the detailed information is obscured unless you either add three contacts, or you can pay $100 a year for premium access. Both contact data or cash can be traded in for virtual currency, which then can be used to access the data. This data exchange model is also similar to Jigsaw’s, over which Michael once had a hissy fit.
But TheOfficialBoard takes pains to ensure the accuracy of its data beyond simply relying on the contributions of its members. Every e-mail is kept private. Members can only contact the executive through TheOfficialBoard, much in the same way LinkedIn works. Furthermore, it checks every executive e-mail address that is entered into the system and encourages the named executives at each company to verify the information. (The “contact an executive” feature has not yet been activated, the company is waiting until it has amassed tens of thousands of verified emails). Currently, there are 200,000 executives in the system across 80 counties. The service also offers alerts by company or individual executive. The alerts are sent out whenever there is a change in job positions.
TheOfficialBoard is based in France. It was founded by Thomas Lot, the former general manager of Apple France and VP Europe of Amazon. The site was launched with $150,000 in seed capital.
Update: It turns out Forbes.com also has an Org Chart Wiki, which I am told was something Roger McNamee pushed for after Elevation Partners took a stake in Forbes Media. To be honest, it looks like a half-hearted effort and is hard on the eyes. The challenge for all of these services is getting people with the correct information to give it up. For too many people, the incentive simply isn’t there.
me and my colleagues were currently discussing when the website “who slept with who” will go online. if you compare “the officialboard” to linked in, “who slept with who” would be the facebook.
anyway, ive been asking myself how the search for personal information might look like in future (http://danielpu...ngines-outlook/). what kind of technology is in front of us that will expose or even denude us to the www? and how blue-eyed are people to publish such intimate and valuable information?
$150K for this ? LOLLERS
This seems like a site for someone who needs a life of their own, not following the ins and outs of corporate board members for large companies.
I can see this being very big especially given the economic recession. While I don’t necessarily think LinkedIn will be their greatest threat, Jigsaw has a fairly large lead but its anyone’s game.
This is great! One step closer to pure transparency. Next time we have an Enron we can see who reported to whom and then black list all those managers involved so they can never get another job!!! That should put a few power hungry, do anything to advance, kiss-asses in their place. Maybe they will be more likely to follow the law, stick to some values/morals, and report illegal activity sooner.
agree. these kinds of tools can play an important part in shaping sustainable markets of the future
This is great!
Does the site alert an executive when they’ve been added?
and does it tell the executive who added them?
Yes, it does provided we have a valid e-mail adress.
Just to clarify. The identity of the contributor is kept confidential. The contribution is provided to the executive provided we have a valid e-mail adress.
It’s basically making the Outlook Corporate Address Book Public … but what’s the value of it to user’s ? A means to know who to complain ???
One thing that comes to mind is being able to connect directly to influential people. This can aid in forming partnerships as well as the job search process.
I see, but you could potentially do the same with Linkedin ??
It is one thing if people choose to post their information on social networks etc. but if the information is hijacked via paying others to upload it it simply stinks.
Those guys should be taken out of business for the simple fact that they probably violate the privacy rules for any country outside the US.
Meanwhile the music industry keeps throwing kinds into jail for listening to and promoting music online.
This feature of contacting executives can also be found at Jigsaw, Hoovers, and the free BizShark.
Some of the comments so far don’t really understand the value in this data to sales teams. A site like this that could tie an API into a CRM, such as Salesforce.com, would be really useful in lead generation and knowing who to talk to at a client company.
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I wonder how this is any different from http://www.cogmap.com ..?
If they make some good decisions about what data is available and support a vibrant wiki-audience, I think they are on to something.
Yes, it’s similar to Cogmap, but Google was similar to Yahoo (ie, who cares?).
tragically flawed, zero data integrity, AND this is already done – COGMAP did it over 2 years ago…you guys are *way* behind the times…i wrote about forbes awful org chart years ago, there are no locks or controls for disinformation, so to demonstrated, i simply added myself to the boards of all of the fortune 10…
Bravo!