The nine lives of an executive resume

When publicly traded companies announce the hiring of a key executive, it's convenient to engage in a bit of resume polishing. Minor accomplishments are painted as epic. Failures are whited out.

So it was earlier this month, when Odyssey Marine Exploration Inc. unveiled its appointment of George Becker Jr. as chief operating officer. A detailed resume placed on the Tampa company's Web site made no direct mention of Becker's prior tenure as president of a now-defunct Indiana company. Entercitement LLC tried and failed to build a 510-acre amusement park centered around Garfield the cat. Creditors have been fighting over its assets since 1998.

Despite the resume omission, which Odyssey later corrected after a reporter's inquiry, Becker, 67, seems a strategic fit. The Tampa company thinks it is just months away from salvaging a British warship that sank in 1694, and it needs an experienced hand to develop an exhibition plan for any recovered artifacts. Becker has helped companies from Sea World to Ripley's weave history and nature into profits. Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies in Gatlinburg, Tenn., drew 2-million visitors in its first year.

Odyssey co-founder Greg Stemm says Becker fully disclosed his Entercitement connection in interviews with the company and probably left it off his resume for space purposes. Entercitement CEO Greg Williams says Becker did an excellent job, is owed hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid salary and bears no fault for the company's failed fundraising efforts.

"George fulfilled his obligation to the company," Williams said. "The company didn't fulfill its obligation to George."

Becker says his experience at Entercitement taught him an important lesson that will help him at Odyssey. "Go slow, build 'em small, and let 'em grow," he said.

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