Register.com sacks COO without explanation

Register.com Inc has fired COO Rajiv Samant after less than 18 months on the job, the company announced yesterday. The New York-based domain name registrar said Samant has been "terminated effective today" but did not give a reason.

The firm said president and CEO Richard Forman will take over Samant's responsibilities and position in the reporting chain. Forman, who recently gave up the chairmanship to director Mitchell Quain, was effectively also COO before Samant.

Having a high-level executive "terminated" without giving a reason publicly is somewhat unusual. A forced resignation is often the preferred method of disposing of senior management in public companies, when departures can hit share prices.

A Register.com spokesperson said the firing was a personnel issue and would not disclose the thinking behind it, but to say it was "definitely not related" to any kind of impropriety that would need to be disclosed to investors.

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