GRAND RAPIDS, MI — The CEO of furniture company MillerKnoll has apologized to workers after a video of her telling employees worried about not getting bonuses to “leave pity city” went viral.
Andi Owen, who has led the Zeeland-based company since 2018, told employees during an online townhall meeting in March to focus on reaching MillerKnoll’s $26 million sales goal rather than whether they will get bonuses. She told them to leave “pity city” and concentrate on their jobs.
After her remarks went viral Tuesday, drawing local and national media headlines, Owen emailed an apology to workers.
“I want to be transparent and empathetic, and as I continue to reflect on this instance, I feel terrible that my rallying cry seemed insensitive,” she said. “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.”
Related: MillerKnoll CEO urges workers worried about bonuses to ‘leave pity city’
She went on to say: “Nothing will lessen the power and strength of our collective team. My appreciation for each of you is huge and I will continue to do everything I can to help us meet our shared goals. Thank you for your hard work, your grace, and for the commitment you show to one another and our company every single day.”
MillerKnoll was formed in 2021 after Herman Miller purchased Pennsylvania-based furniture manufacturer Knoll Inc. for $1.8 billion. Owen had served as Herman Miller’s president since 2018, and formerly served as an executive with clothing manufacturer GAP and Banana Republic, her LinkedIn page shows.
The company has the brands Herman Miller and Knoll, as well as Colebrook Bosson Saunders, DatesWeiser, Design Within Reach, Edelman Leather, Fully and more. It has roughly 11,000 employees, according to its website.
An edited, 1 minute and 20 second video of Owen’s remarks from a March town hall meeting went viral Tuesday after being posted on social media. It was picked up by CNN. CBS News, The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg News, as well as local media.
“Don’t ask about what are we going to do if we don’t get a bonus,” she said in the video. “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 going to do if we don’t get a bonus.”
She goes on to say: “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.”
Her comments sparked outrage on social media especially among those upset with her compensation.
A story by Fortune Magazine said Owen received $3.9 million in incentive pay last year on top of her $1.1 million fixed salary.
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