ZEELAND (WWJ) - The CEO of a West Michigan furniture company apologized to employees after a video of her telling workers who were worried about not receiving a bonus to "leave pity city" went viral this week.
The comments made by Andi Owen, who has been at the helm of Zeeland-based MillerKnoll since 2018, were leaked in an edited video telling employees to focus on reaching the company's $26 million sales goal during an online townhall meeting last month.
Owen was heard saying workers shouldn't worry over whether or not they would receive bonuses and to leave "pity city."
The video went viral on Tuesday, garnering local and national attention from the Wall Street Journal, CNN, CBS News and Bloomberg News for her comments.
After landing smack dab in the center of a social media storm, Owen said she is now sorry.
“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 wrote in an email to employees. “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.”
“Nothing will lessen the power and strength of our collective team," she continued. "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.”
Owen came on board as the CEO of Herman Miller five years ago and oversaw the company's transformational $1.8 billion acquisition of Pennsylvania-based furniture manufacturer Knoll Inc., according to MiBiz.
The two companies were rebranded as the Zeeland-based MillerKnoll with the new executive team consisting of leaders from both sides. The then-CEO of Knoll Inc. stepped down, paving the way for Owen to take over in the new merger.
Prior to her time at MillerKnoll, Owen listed on LinkedIn that she served as an executive for clothing companies GAP and Banana Republic.
In the clip posted to social media, Owen told workers to "get the damn $26 million" and spend their time thinking about the company's goals.
“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 followed with: “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.”
Given her salary and compensation, her comments caused swift backlash on Twitter.
As stated by Fortune Magazine, Owen got $3.9 million in incentive pay in 2022 in addition to her $1.1 million fixed salary.