Cypher: You wrote about Thibadeau, "Having your chief scientist leave (Wave) cannot be good..."
Ordinarily I might agree, but wouldn't the reason(s) for his leaving make a difference? If he was deemed ineffective, for example, would Wave want to keep him? If his science was out of date with current technology and he couldn't seem to catch up? Not saying that was the case, just speculating.
Whatever Thibadeau's star power in tech circles once was, it has largely dimmed, IMO. He may have been a good catch a few years ago, but now?
In summary, it may have been a good thing for him to leave. Not saying it was, but it is certainly possible it was a good decision on Wave's part.
In general, personnel termination decisions are rarely made public, especially if the person in question was viewed in a negative light--fear of lawsuits. Usually, in a company, the disciplining, firing or forcing someone out is best conducted in private.
Best wishes--Blue