text_combined: fw wsj skilling interview enron skilling cites stock price plunge main reason leaving ceo post john r emshwiller 08 16 2001 wall street journal page 2 copyright c 2001 dow jones company inc jeffrey k skilling said pressure felt enron corp plummeting stock price main reason decided resign tuesday energy giant chief executive officer six months job interview yesterday 47 year old mr skilling elaborated decision leave houston based enron tuesday mr skilling insisted resigned personal reasons unrelated enron business activities interview reiterated pressure resign company board chairman kenneth lay resumed ceo duties nation biggest energy trader however yesterday mr skilling said personal reasons deeply enmeshed feelings failed crucial business area brief tenure ceo calling company stock performance kind ultimate score card mr skilling noted enron share price fallen 50 year mr skilling said took stock price drop personally put lot pressure decline said felt must communicating well enough investors felt particularly given enron strong financial results past several quarters based largely growing volumes trading business covers range items including electricity pulp paper stock price remained think would felt pressure leave said january enron topped 84 share new york stock exchange composite trading closed tuesday announcement mr skilling resignation 42 93 share 4 p yesterday enron traded 40 25 falling 37 day mr skilling enron 11 years said depressed stock price particularly tough explain fellow enron employees many shareholders people would say going stock jeff would say know frustrating said mr skilling self portrait offered mr skilling interview rather different widely held image ambitious bright thick skinned business strategist whose long held goal becoming enron ceo mr skilling said final straw decision leave come visit last week england connection deaths three enron workers power plant accident trip helped reinforce tenuous life said mr skilling three children previous marriage recently became engaged mr skilling said enron great shape departure raised anxiety investment community merrill lynch instance lowered rating enron neutral buy based uncertainty created resignation yesterday enron spokesman confirmed mr lay plans name two executives existing office chairman within next days weeks spokesman said mr lay yet revealed two would office chairman consisted mr lay mr skilling copyright 2000 dow jones company inc rights reserved