I've enjoyed every interaction with Shapeways so far. I've ordered several of my own models and they arrive looking perfect. The production time seems reasonable and matches their estimates. I've sent questions and suggestions to multiple departments and every time the reply is quick (less than a day) and helpful.
I opened a store on Shapeways to sell my models and the interface is clean, easy, and intuitive. I had a harder time opening a Tumblr account to promote my items. I love not having to deal with keeping track of orders or dealing with potential angry customers. Shapeways does all the hard stuff and lets me just relax and design. I adore it.
It's odd to see so many poor reviews on this site, but I haven't been doing business with Shapeways for very long, so it's possible that they weren't as great in the past.
I know nothing about their CEO, so I can't comment on that.
Overall I'd give the site 9/10, and that missing point is only because there are a few functionalities that would improve the design experience (like the option to see if a model will stand on its own once printed). I look forward to doing more business with Shapeways in the future and I absolutely recommend them.