A Sad Day at eBay

Nothing can prepare you for walking in on Monday and being greeted with the news we got today. Bob Hebeler, who was the head of our Seller Development teams and led eBay Canada, passed away this weekend after being involved in an accident while out biking in the hills nearby.   It's likely some of our readers knew Bob -- he met many sellers (and buyers) in his 6 years at eBay, and he always put the Community first in everything he did.

It's always hard to lose someone so unexpectedly, and Bob's absence is already hitting employees hard. He was a rare breed - well-liked and respected by people at all levels in the company, mainly because he gave the respect right back. While I didn't know him all that well personally, I know scores of employees who did, and they continually gave him the best compliment they could: "I love having him as my boss." Jordan Banks, our Country Manager in Canada who reported to Bob, wrote an especially beautiful and heartfelt post on the Canada Town Square board that sums up everything Bob was. Bill Cobb posted a note to our Announcement Board this morning, and Rachel Makool (head of our Community Development team) started a thread on Seller Central for both members and employees to leave their thoughts.

I'd like to echo something I posted to the Seller Central thread. It's a very somber day at eBay, and will be around these halls for awhile. But the kind words and thoughts that so many members have already posted to those two threads have been truly touching, and everyone here is more appreciative that we can express. It's just one more reminder of how special a Community we have here. And to Bob - thank you for making this company (and the world in general) a better place to be.