Andi Owen, CEO and president of American furniture maker MillerKnoll, has apologised to employees for her now-infamous ‘pity city’ rant, acknowledging in an email to staff that the language used by her ‘seemed insensitive.’
The speech, Owen said, was meant as a ‘rallying cry’ for the company amid its current ‘difficulties,’ reported Vice.
“As a leader, I always try to pick the right words and tone to inspire and motivate this incredible team. I want to be transparent and empathetic, and as I continue to reflect on this instance, I feel terrible my rallying cry seemed insensitive. What I’d hoped would energise the team to meet a challenge we’ve met many times before, landed in a way that I did not intend, and for that, I am sorry,” she wrote in the email, according to Vice.
Owen concluded her Tuesday message by expressing ‘appreciation’ for each employee.
What did she say?
The MillerKnoll CEO made the remark during an online townhall last month. The question she was asked was: “While things are tough right now, how can we help our teams stay motivated?”
Owen responded: “People must stop worrying about what you’re going to do if you don’t get a bonus, otherwise, leave ‘pity city’.”
The comment generated enough anger among employees for her to meet company leaders. Despite the outrage, however, MillerKnoll stood by her, saying the CEO ‘would not be dissuaded by a 90-second clip taken out of context.’
Eventually, though, as the backlash grew, Owen herself came forward to apologise.
