*** Exclusive Interview ***

Ares, God Of War: "I'm just a regular kinda guy, who wants to get on with his job!"

For centuries, Mt. Olympus as an organization has never openly commented on its internal management structure and business credos. In a new attempt to restructure and streamline the company for coming generations, Greecian Gazette's Financial Correspondent Ceridwen obtained an exclusive interview with a member of the company's Board of Directors: Ares, God of War.

Magazine "Thank you for taking the time to give us this interview, Ares."

Ares "Anytime."

Magazine "Since the defeat of the Titans, no member of the Olympian household has ever talked to journalists. Why are you now breaking this tradition?"

Ares "Well, we have tried to listen to the voices within and at the end of this process lies a change of our ancient family policy. The Olympian Gods have recognized, that the mortals in this world are no longer interested in just Gods and their powers. They also want to know what is behind the façade, what type of gods work in there and what goals, principles, hopes and dreams we really have."

Magazine "Until recently, there was a lack of transparency even within the Olympian Organization. Why this secrecy?"

Ares "We were mostly interested in keeping our reputations and protecting our privacy. An opening to the outside would have meant for many of us to reveal ourselves to the public in a way, which would have surprized many. But now, we realize, that the public we serve, has a right to know."

Magazine "At what level was this decision made?"

Ares "This decision was taken at the Executive level at the last general meeting. It was taken by the Board of Directors collectively for all the Gods. Afterall, we are counting around 20 odd Gods now and have a potential commercial pre-tax turnover of around 120bn Dinars."

Magazine "What role does the inner core of the family play in the running of the business?"

Ares "Well, there is actually no such core. We have now hired a Management Consultancy Company, which runs the day-to-day business for us. We keep close family contacts, you know, birthdays, weekend barbecues. But they have little to do with business."

Magazine "Your family is regarded as Gods, which obviously influences the religious believes of the people. I am thinking here of the temples, altars and general worshipping. How does this effect your daily business?"

Ares "Religion is a very personal thing and we as an organization have decided not to get involved in that anymore. This would reduce our Marketing costs, which will exceed the cut in profits from merchandising. However we at Mount Olympus still operate under the belief, that there are more important things than just co-ordinating matters like war, love, death and the seasons. We want to get more involved in protecting the environment, campaign for equal rights and encourage a good work environment among the Gods. I believe that this is what will set us apart from other organizations."

Magazine "Zeus, the King of the Gods has over the centuries gained a reputation as…well…excuse me for using this word…..a womanizer and in the case of Hercules, he failed in the most basic of crisis management. He has little or no control over Hera and apart from creating the world in the first place, he as contributed little to the organization's performance in recent years. Are those the reasons for your attempts at replacing him?"

Ares "Well, output figures are down for the past 3 quarters and there is no profit increase in sight. In many other organizations, this would lead to his immediate dismissal. I am just trying to voice my concern. Times are certainly changing and even the King of the Gods will have to adapt to that. The mortals want stability and security in their own lives and we as Gods must give a good example. That includes honesty and integrity as well."

Magazine "And performance will then have to stand back?"

Ares "In times of increasing religious influences from outside Greece, occupational performance is still very important. Make no mistake – we are a successful business in an extremely competitive marketplace."

Magazine "And the success is shared equally or according to position?"

Ares "I don't really want to comment on the distribution within the organization."

Magazine "Why is that such a secret?"

Ares "We, as a family, put great emphasis on keeping private financial matters private. Other people don't talk about what they earn or own."

Magazine "Well, other people are not such a public organization. Who owns Mount Olympus?"

Ares "The Management Company and the Shareholders."

Magazine "And they are?"

Ares "The Management Company is wholly owned by the family and individual operational arms are run by various members of the family, the Underworld by Hades, the Aequarian section by Poseidon and so on. Corporate organizational decisions are taken at board level with a two-third majority voting system. It is not as complex as it seems."

Magazine "And…."

Ares "…..and that is all I want to say. Please respect our privacy here."

Magazine "In recent years, you have established Gods, which were not originally from your family. I am thinking of Callisto and Psyche in particular. A slight inconsistency?"

Ares "Not really. Last year, we have started to create a Holding Organisation, which also allows non-family members. This holding is now involved in various levels of the operation and includes mainly non-family members. We have decided to involve the public more and this is a pilot-type integrational project."

Magazine "Just like Hades, you are currently lobbying for a reformation of Mount Olympus."

Ares "That's right. Any Olympian reform has to reflect the needs and wishes of the devine reality of the wider spectrum of Gods and also has to consider the corporate needs of the establishment. Our concept is to make changes where they are necessary to make the operation run more efficient and prepare Mount Olympus for the future. I am thinking of shared responsibilities and joining operations."

Magazine "That might lower operational costs, but it wouldn't solve your problems."

Ares "Operational costs are not our problem. We have to evaluate external influences and improve our services and are currently re-evaluating our code of practice."

Magazine "Well, now it is out, Iolaus is dead and won't return. How does this influence ..... "

Ares "Who?"

Magazine "I beg your pardon?"

Ares "Who is dead and won't return?"

Magazine "Ahem ..... Iolaus?"

Ares "Iolaus? .... Iolaus ..... Oh, yes, right. Little blond guy. Yeah, what a pity. I'm sorry, what was the question?"

Magazine "After Iolaus' unexpected death in Sumeria, how does this effect the God of War?"

"He was a great warrior."

Ares "Well, not a lot really. You see, being the God of War, I have to look at the greater picture. What is one life in the wake of the possible death of many? Iolaus' death is sad. He was a great warrior, but it's basically business as usual for me."

Magazine "Interesting point, Ares. As the God of War, you have to be pretty cruel and deviant."

Ares "Well, what do you expect? I have a reputation to keep. I am the God of War."

Magazine "Is Zeus still talking to you?"

Ares "Why shouldn't he talk to me? He shares my special concern about the future of mankind."

Magazine "But your continued efforts in killing Hercules, your conspiring efforts to topple Zeus and your war efforts are destroying the lives of thousands. This can not be in the interest of the Maker of all Creation. I am sure, Zeus would get dizzy looking at the exact statistics."

Ares "Well, where there is fire, there is heat. All Zeus is interested in, is the running of a smooth and efficient operation. And I can assure you, he doesn't get dizzy that quickly."

Magazine "Do you enjoy being the God of War?"

Ares "Well, it is a job and somebody's got to do it. I think on a personal note, that I am doing a good job. There will always be war and conflict and just like in everything, there must be somebody to co-ordinate everything. That is the sad reality."

Magazine "Does this reflect your inner feelings?"

Ares "Most of us, saintliness not being at the forefront of our mental strengths, would give in sooner or later. Couple this with the touching tendency towards eternal hope that is such an inherit part of the devine condition, and you have the bedrock of almost everyone's desire to do something worth-wile at some point in their lives. Basically, I am just a regular kinda guy, who wants to get on with his job."

Magazine "So, what is it, that in your opinion drives the human towards evil?"

Ares "Temptation. It's that strange and often irresistible feeling you experience, when an unseen devil alights upon your shoulder and whispers 'Go on, do it!' I actually get that myself sometimes when looking at a tub of Haagen-Daz ice cream."

Magazine "Now, that Dahak is obviously making a strong appearance in this world, where do you see the future of the Olympians?"

Ares "Yes, that might become a problem and we have discussed this hostile take-over attempt at length at our last Board Meeting. But at the end of the day, we are counting on Hercules to be the usual hero and save the world from this maniac. That would then take care of it without us getting too involved. If not, well, I always had a strong interest in glass-blowing. It is very challenging. I might take it up professionally and maybe set up a business in Sheffield."

Magazine "Thank you for this interview, Ares."

Ares "You're welcome."