In an age where so many work meetings are held over Zoom or Google Meet, you'd expect folks would think twice before having a full-on meltdown in a place where it could be recorded.
But that was not the case for MillerKnoll (MLKN) CEO Andi Owen, who has suddenly become quite famous on social media for video of an internal meeting where she yells at her staff for sending in questions such as " How can we stay motivated if we're not going to get a bonus?"
DON'T MISS: Becky Quick Can Barely Contain Herself During Charlie Munger's Foul-Mouthed Crypto Rant
"Some of them were nice and some of them were not so nice," Owen continued. "So I'm going to address this head on." She then goes on to stress that focusing on the customer and being kind and respectful are important, and that the staff should "lead by example."
It all seems like typical CEO talk, until a note of annoyance creeps into Owen's voice as she says, "Don't ask about what are we gonna do if we don't get a bonus. Get the damn $26 million dollars! Spend your time and your effort thinking about the $26 million dollar 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? I would appreciate that."
Owen topped the shame cake with a cherry, saying, "I had an old boss who said to me you can visit Pity City, but you can't live there. So people, leave Pity City, let's get it done."
Owen was paid a base salary of almost $1.1 million in 2022, according to the company's last proxy statement filed with the SEC.
In addition, she received stock awards valued at $1.4 million, option awards valued at $887,000, non-equity incentive plan compensation of $1.29 million and other compensation of $335,000, according to the proxy statement. The other compensation included a $150,000 contribution to Owen’s executive equalization retirement plan and $173,000 for personal use of a corporate aircraft leased by the company. The total valuation of her compensation was just under $5 million, according to the proxy.
Owen was named President and Chief Executive Officer in August 2018. She previously served as Global President of Banana Republic.
Reddit and other social media platforms were quick to call Owen out, saying the video was "privileged, condescending, and out of touch." Owen sent out an apology to employees later that evening, saying she felt "terrible that her rallying cry seemed to be insensitive" and that she was sorry.
TheStreet has reached out to MillerKnoll parent company Herman Miller for comment.
Get exclusive access to portfolio managers and their proven investing strategies with Real Money Pro. Get started now.
