MillerKnoll CEO Andi Owen’s Zoom town hall with employees sparks anger. (Credits: Via Twitter/@conzmoleman)
MillerKnoll CEO Andi Owen lectured her employees, who were worried about their bonuses amid a crisis, asking them to leave ‘pity city’. The viral Zoom call has sparked outrage online.
Office chair-making giant MillerKnoll’s CEO Andi Owen has sparked outrage after her Zoom call with employees started circulating online. During a financial crisis in the company and the industry in general, she was asked how employees could “stay motivated”. She started off her message with asking employees to focus on what was within their control, provide the best customer service they could and treat each other with kindness.
“Don’t ask about ‘what are we gonna do if we don’t get a bonus’. Get the damn $26 million. Spend your time and your effort thinking about the $26 million we need and not thinking about what you’re gonna do if you don’t get a bonus. Alright? Can I get some commitment for that?”
She then went on to cite an old boss of hers who told her that one could visit “pity city” but not live in it. “So people, leave pity city. Let’s get it done,” she added. As per a Vice Motherboard report, Owen received bonuses of $1.29 million in 2022 and $1.12 million in 2021. Since the company’s fiscal year isn’t over yet, bonuses- including hers- have not been handed out yet.
Regardless, Owen’s message has angered many people on Twitter, where the Zoom call has gone viral. The context provided in the tweet made by Warren Commission Test Skull, however, could be misleading.
You’re already not getting a bonus. But then your employer tells you to stop feeling sorry for yourself and focus on working even harder for the company. My god. https://t.co/5Fqk2SOVwJ— Reid (@RVAReid) April 18, 2023
Sadly, this is how you become a CEO through selfishness, greed, and a lack of basic human compassion.Thankfully, her corporate bullying went viral. She’s about to be living off that bonus (unemployed) for several years. In the words of the brilliant Beyonce: https://t.co/uk0YcmRBsx pic.twitter.com/IfkiWkAKKv
— Ola Ojewumi (@Olas_Truth) April 18, 2023
God I despise CEO’s so much. Almost every executive I’ve ever met has an air to them like they think they’re so much better than the rest of us. Like they really think they’re gods among men or something. It’s beyond infuriating. https://t.co/9JpEd2a23G— SMG 🚩 (@smg_revisited) April 17, 2023
A MillerKnoll spokesperson Kris Marubio told Motherboard that the video had been taken out of context.
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