blackwater becomes XE ....."z"

[keith in RI]

http://www.startribune.com/nation/40528672.html

i like this quote:
"Xe has already been expanding into other lines of business. It has built a fleet of 76 aircraft that it has deployed to such hotspots as West Africa and Afghanistan."

kind of conveinient they are moving into afghanistan right as obama is "surging" there too....


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Xe tries to leave history of Blackwater behind as transformation cuts top 2 executives

By MIKE BAKER , Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Blackwater name is gone. So is the focus on the security business that made it famous. Now the founder who built the private company into one of the world's most respected — and reviled — defense contractors is stepping aside as its chief executive.

Erik Prince's decision Monday to relinquish his role as chief executive officer underscored how hard the company now called Xe — pronounced like the letter "z" — is working to bury the Blackwater brand and move its focus further away from the security contracting that severely tarnished its reputation.

Prince appointed a new president and chief operating officer in a management shake-up that he said was part of the company's "continued reorganization and self-improvement." It comes less than a month after changing the company's name to Xe in an effort at re-branding.

"As many of you know, because we focus on continually improving our business that Xe is in the process of a comprehensive restructuring," Prince wrote in a note to employees and clients. "It is with pride in our many accomplishments and confidence in Xe's future that I announce my resignation as the company's Chief Executive Officer."

Although Prince will retain his position as chairman of the company, the company said he is removing himself from the day-to-day operations. Spokeswoman Anne Tyrrell said he plans to spend more time with his family and seven children, adding he plans to open a private-equity venture.

Joseph Yorio, recently a vice president at DHL and a former Army special forces officer, will serve as president, replacing retiring executive Gary Jackson. Danielle Esposito, who has worked within Xe for nearly 10 years, will be the new chief operating officer and executive vice president, the company said.

The CEO position remains open.

[Pat McCotter]

Well, what are they going to do for a web address? www.xe.com is taken. I've used that site for currency and silver/gold conversions for a long time.