The CEO whose “pity city” speech backfired spectacularly is now apologizing to her employees.
“I feel terrible that my rallying cry seemed insensitive,” wrote Andi Owen, chief executive of office furniture giant MillerKnoll, in an email to staff Tuesday. “What I’d hoped would energize 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.”
The email was reported earlier by Michigan news site MLive and Vice. A spokesperson for MillerKnoll, based in Zeeland, Michigan, confirmed the accuracy of the reports.
The apology followed widespread media coverage of an online town hall Owen hosted last month, in which she admonished employees who asked her how they would stay motivated if they don’t get bonuses.
“Don’t ask about ‘what are we going to do if we don’t get a bonus?’ Get the damn $26 million,” she said, citing an internal metric. “Spend your time and your effort thinking about the $26 million we need and not thinking about what you’re going to do if we don’t get a bonus. All right? Can I get some commitment for that?”
She continued: “I had an old boss who said to me one time, ‘you can visit pity city but you can’t live there.’ So people: Leave pity city. Let’s get it done.”
The message didn’t land well. A recording of the meeting circulated online, sparking outrage on social media.
A MillerKnoll spokesperson said earlier this week that the clip was taken out of context and that Owen “fiercely believes in this team and all we can accomplish together.”
MillerKnoll has not yet decided bonus payouts for staff, including Owen, as its fiscal year ends in May.
In 2022, Owen took home nearly $5 million in compensation, which includes a $1.1 million salary plus various stock options and bonus pay, according to the company’s proxy filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
The median employee income at MillerKnoll, the company behind sleek office furniture brands such as Herman Miller and Design Within Reach, was $44,810.
