• About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Terms of service
Saturday, May 21, 2022
The Millennial Source
TMS
Home WORLD

Away CEO steps down after report alleging “toxic” work culture

byChi Ngo
December 16, 2019
in WORLD
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linkedin



On December 9, Away announced that its CEO and co-founder Steph Korey would step down from her role following public backlash to a recent Verge investigation into what has been reported as the luggage startup’s toxic work culture.

Lululemon COO Stuart Haselden will become the company’s new CEO on January 13. Meanwhile, Korey will remain the executive chairman of the company’s board of directors, and her co-founder Jen Rubio will stay on as president and chief brand officer. 

What does the investigation allege? 

The Verge investigation detailed frequent intimidation, manipulation, and abuse perpetrated by Korey, resulting in a “company culture people fear” and “a cadre of former employees who feel burned out and coerced into silence.” 

Multiple accounts from former Away employees tell of exceedingly long hours with no paid overtime. During busy periods, Korey and her managers would reportedly limit the employees’ paid time off, painting these and other exploitative practices as “career development opportunities.” Korey and company executives would frequently berate employees’ efforts on public Slack channels that could be viewed by the entire organization. 

On December 6, a day after the Verge story broke, Korey tweeted a statement apologizing that she’d “expressed” herself “in ways that hurt the team.” Korey added that she was “appalled”, “embarrassed”, and “not proud” of her behavior. 

Korey said that she was working with an executive coach to improve as a leader and that the article doesn’t reflect the company Away wants to be. 

“I know I have more work to do, and I will do better for the team,” Korey tweeted. 

On the same day, the Verge published a leaked memo showing that Away’s management banned its employees from discussing or interacting with the investigative article on social media, including on their personal accounts. 

Was Away already planning to hire a new CEO?

Following the announcement that Away was hiring Stuart Haselden as its new CEO, an Away representative told The Wall Street Journal that the company had been searching for Korey’s replacement since the spring of 2019, suggesting that the decision to hire a new CEO was not influenced by the Verge’s reporting. 

“In light of the article, it’s been a difficult few days for the company,” co-founder Jen Rubio told the Wall Street Journal. “But we don’t want that to overshadow this announcement.” 

However, a Vox report revealed that Away had initially intended for Stuart Haselden to remain as the company’s chief operating officer (COO) in a role that would have seen him sharing responsibilities with Korey. Over time, Haselden would have been allowed to transition into the role of CEO, ultimately replacing Korey. This slower transition period was scrapped once The Verge story began attracting attention, leading Away to announce that Haselden would assume the role of CEO on January 13, earlier than the company had originally planned. 

What is the history of Away’s co-founders?

Away co-founders Steph Korey and Jen Rubio met in 2011 while working at the direct-to-consumer eyewear company, Warby Parker. Together, they founded Away in November 2015, utilizing the direct-to-consumer model to market hard-shell, carry-on suitcases. To date, Away has been extremely successful, reporting $150 million in sales for 2018.

In May of 2019, the company was valued at $1.4 billion.

[article_ad]

Related

ShareTweetShare

Latest Posts

aid Ukraine

From the US sending another US$40 billion of aid to Ukraine to the rare monkeypox outbreak – Here is your May 20 news briefing

May 20, 2022
Elon Musk

Elon Musk loses US$12.3 billion in 24 hours amid tweeting politics and calling ESG a “scam”

May 20, 2022
aid Ukraine

US Senate approves US$40 billion in Ukraine aid as Biden welcomes Finland’s and Sweden’s bids to enter NATO

May 20, 2022

Indonesia will lift its palm oil export ban from Monday

May 20, 2022

Rare monkeypox cases detected in the US, Europe and UK. Here’s what you need to know

May 20, 2022

From North Korea’s COVID spike to Google Russia declaring bankruptcy – Here is your May 19 news briefing

May 19, 2022

Google to declare bankruptcy in Russia

May 19, 2022

The US SEC investigates Wall Street over use of unapproved messaging apps

May 19, 2022

Finland and Sweden officially have officially asked to join NATO. Here is what you need to know

May 19, 2022

SUBSCRIBE TO THE TMS NEWSLETTER

By providing your email, you agree to our Privacy Policy

The Millennial Source Ltd. 2021

No Result
View All Result
  • Your daily briefing
  • About us
  • Explore
    • Startups
    • Climate change
    • Tech giants
    • Crypto
    • The future of work
    • Banking giants
    • Economy
  • Lifestyle
  • TMS archives
  • Write for us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy & Terms

© 2022 The Millennial Source Ltd.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

string(24) "jsonld single post debug"
The Millennial Source
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.