#leadership

The leadership should be worried, because everybody with any options seems to be preparing to leave. I think people have had enough of this place, its toxicity, and blatant disrespect for employees. You can only push people so far before something snaps.

When will LC be fired? He's non existent and IT is a complete disaster after the re-org. Morale in the toilet and there was no plan at all for what happened after the cut 50% or more of US staff. I've heard Engine is a disaster as well. Also wonder if MW will ever show his face again to employees. Only way to hear from him is to see him talk to Wall Street Sc-m on TV.

Not LBT, not anybody else. We're so sc--wed it's not even funny.

It is getting harder to keep up as more people leave and the remaining team ends up doing twice the work. With RTO, things are only going to get much, much worse. Leadership really needs to address staffing before more talented people give up and walk out.

Wow. It looks like if you follow orders, promote people you vacation with, kiss you boss and the CMO’s butts you can be a marketer to watch. But wait that’s how the farm operates!

https://lnkd.in/gnGTahUA

We cant handle a new CEO and all that comes with that.

Managers these days just hover over you to ensure you sell every little bit of stuff. They are willing to slam perks to customers without finding a need. There is no trust with that kind of micromanaging. There is no integrity in that kind of managing. Employees feel like there is no trust anymore. In this kind of environment it seems the management has no trust either. Why can we not coach to a result? Why must we be micromanaged?

www.thelayoff.com/t/1k3ekjvbx

Expedia Group cites "violation of company policy" for sudden ouster of two key tech leaders

Two of Expedia Group’s top engineering leaders have abruptly left the company following what the travel giant described as a "violation of company policy." The Seattle-based company confirmed that Chief Technology Officer Rathi Murthy and Senior Vice President of Core Services Product and Engineering, Sreenivas Rachamadugu, are no longer employed at Expedia Group.

Keep an eye on the 8-K filings OpenText must file with the security exchange as a publicly traded company. Any changes which can impact investors have to be publicly available. The various 8-Ks will start pointing out changes around selling off products as well.

Last week or so 8-K are around comp changes for the interim CEO. In addition to his existing salary, he gets another 50K+ in cash every month and he is eligible for up to 100% of his salary in variable comp for FY26 and he now has an added target equity of $281k in shares.

Meanwhile, our customers are asking who the heck is steering the ship and WFRs are being aligned as part of slimming business units for sale.

This is from GeekWire, I have the link below:

Expedia Group cites "violation of company policy" for sudden ouster of two key tech leaders

Two of Expedia Group’s top engineering leaders have abruptly left the company following what the travel giant described as a "violation of company policy."

Geekwire: By Taylor Soper - May 18, 2024, 6:51 am

The Seattle-based company confirmed that Chief Technology Officer Rathi Murthy and Senior Vice President of Core Services Product and Engineering, Sreenivas Rachamadugu, are no longer employed at Expedia Group.

"This decision is the result of a violation of company policy," a spokesperson said in a statement to GeekWire. "We’re actively searching to fill these roles and remain confident in our technology, strategy, and employees. Due to confidentiality, we will not be making any further comments on the matter."

Murthy responds

Later on May 18, Murthy shared a statement through a spokesperson:
"Throughout my career, I’ve conducted myself with a commitment to the highest level of integrity. I am proud of my work at Expedia and have endeavored at all times to serve the best interests of the company. I look forward to sharing my story at the appropriate time and setting the record straight."

Departures follow major company event

The exits came just days after Expedia’s annual partner conference in Las Vegas, where the company announced several new tech initiatives, including an AI assistant. Murthy spoke at the conference and highlighted the announcements on LinkedIn.

Murthy joined Expedia in 2021 after serving as CTO at Verizon Media. She previously held executive roles at Gap, American Express, eBay, and Yahoo.

Rachamadugu also joined Expedia in 2021 from Verizon Media, where he spent more than 15 years in engineering leadership roles.

GeekWire has reached out to both former executives for further comment.

Leadership transition underway

The leadership shakeup coincides with the arrival of Expedia Group’s new CEO, Ariane Gorin, who officially started the role on Monday. Gorin, a longtime Expedia executive, replaced Peter Kern, a transition first announced in February.

Company outlook

Expedia Group owns a portfolio of brands including Vrbo, Orbitz, Hotwire, Trivago, Hotels.com, and its flagship Expedia.com. The company has unified the tech platform across its brands in recent years and launched a shared loyalty program, One Key, for Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo.

For the first quarter of 2024, Expedia reported $2.9 billion in revenue, up 8 percent year-over-year. Despite the revenue growth, shares fell after the company disclosed delays in a major tech migration.

The company has also been restructuring its workforce. It laid off tech employees in September and suffered a system outage earlier this month.

Link: https://www.geekwire.com/2024/expedia-group-cto-and-svp-ousted-after-unspecified-violation-of-company-policy/

Just checked email. No 1:1 with GP yet. Yes, I shouldn’t check today but they didn’t say a “start time”. What if they start at 7:30am CST?! And I miss the 1:1. They should have done better on when invites would be sent out. Basic communication folks.

Each acquisition’s “plata-o-plomo” execution style has sabotaged any innovation for years. From VPs to Directors, and Directors to ICs, the only things that matter are ‘whom you know’ and ‘how long.’ Perks and positions are dolled out for being obedient to bosses and indifferent to subordinates. Arrogance and incompetence at each layer earn additional equity grants.
All he-l breaks loose when these cartels are compelled to navigate together overlapping territories—wireless, wireline, and now cloud. The manner in which power games are played could easily put Madellin, Cali, and the Norte-del Cartel to shame. Hunger Games are always ON amongst power centers of the East Coast, Valley, and Seattle. Play here is not to innovate and develop revenue-generating products but for cartels to siphon off as much as possible, as long as possible, before shifting blame to another cartel for failures.
Cartel bosses had infested low-cost offices like India with mediocre ‘yes men’ in key positions long before acquisitions. That rot runs deep now; these places provide an endless supply of cheap peddlers ready to be exploited—one goes here, many are available there.
Cross-functional Sales, marketing, and product teams are busy circling musical chairs, anxious for the music to pause. With every pause comes a new DJ and fewer chairs. How ridiculous is it to gloat about one’s outfit-dress color in an AH event? 2K+ employees had to listen to that cr-p live.
Fellow ex-compatriots, if you must continue there, stay invisible—stay low, and try not to get caught in cartel shootouts, for they will never end. Good luck, and Godspeed!

In all honesty pete cittadini would be a good pick https://www.linkedin.com/in/cittadinipete

Good luck to everyone the next couple of days. Even if it turns out we didn’t matter to the person who kept telling us that the last 6 years, you do matter to your colleagues and your contributions are appreciated.

Hans went on Lewis Howes’ podcast to talk about how he leads Verizon. He mentioned writing “boss contracts,” holding 256 listening meetings, logging every hour into six buckets, and keeping a list of 39 names he checks in with.

It sounds organized, but the scoreboard tells a different story. Verizon trades like a utility, buried in debt from the $52.9B C-band buy. Growth is flat, T-Mobile is winning subs, and inside the company people are worn down by endless “transformations” and layoffs.

The podcast Hans sells habits. The Verizon Hans runs a company that’s been 3–5 years behind. That’s the disconnect.

All cherry coated lies. Built by men in boots and soon to be ruined by men in suits. Graph grinders and Remington raiders strike again.

There was a lot of hype here about how the entire mid-management layers would be obliterated in this recent LR. Some of us expressed disbelief . Like clockwork, I don’t see any evidence of that at least in tech presales. Our total waste-of-space managers in the U.K. market are swaggering around with big smiles on their faces. So much for the rumour mongering.

Not sure why I still waste energy worrying about layoffs. They're basically a given at this point. Leadership made it clear - more cuts and “savings” are coming through the end of the year. That means stay ready, keep some savings if you can, and always have an eye out for other options.
No point in stressing, it's out of our hands.

Apache needs leadership starting from the top in midland and houston or nothing will change... the culture is broken and turnover never stops. People want flexibility better pay and benefits and leaders who actually follow through

You need to DO BETTER & practice what you preach.

Stop lying, it's better to keep quiet than to lie.

right now Apache & mgmt cares more about wall street than the people working in the field... good decision making and clear communication would go a long way but it feels missing. consolidation might help but without change at the svp level and above it will stay the same cycle.

Based on who is getting riffed and who is not, exactly how many of the leadership at this company is 'on the take' from their subordinates??? I see so many employees basically getting away with m_urder, that I have a hard time believing just covering for the manager and k_ssing their a__ is getting them that much leniency. With crypto so popular now, that surely makes being 'on the take' harder to detect. Any thoughts???

as it is the crux of the problem:

It is not about which company owns the manufacturing, it is the people inside and culture which are too corrupted and incapable. The current people are lagging technology and engineering mindset. Having politicians, MBA, gangsters as leaders in Intel is a complete joke, no hope.

took it from here: @bq+1k3atzm6p

The Oregon battery manufacturer formerly known as Powin plans to lay off another 25 employees, including nine in Oregon, after entering bankruptcy and selling most of its assets to a company in North Carolina.

https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2025/08/another-25-former-powin-employees-will-be-laid-off-after-bankruptcy-asset-sale.html

I don’t.

Ever since I got promoted to customer I've been unable to stargaze ELT.
Is MJ still on the bench as Interim Co-CEO?
Truly a rockstar.

Some of you are nervous about Elliott Management, saying it might mean layoffs. A future with Geoff Martha definitely means continued layoffs and possibly much worse anyway, while him and the board continue to sacrifice others to benefit themselves. It is not by chance that Geoff has loaded up the top cadre of the company and board with buddies from GE.

The fact this board has not removed Geoff after so many years of poor performance -well over the NYSE trading company average of 3 bad years for a CEO- is all you need to see to know that nepotism and cronyism is rife at Medtronic. It is absurd.

Elliott Management is a significant shareholder and they have exercised their rights. These companies do not usually walk into a company they hold major stakes in, with the intention of shutting it down. They genuinely want it to return to being profitable and a market leader... but yes, that might also take some layoffs... and divestitures. Again, a future under GM is the far worse result.

And Elliott are there for another reason. Pay attention: they have just 'diluted' the existing board's powers by installing two of their own. That's a governance and accountability mechanism. That's their spot to scrutinize Geoff's performance. That's an eventual motion to remove him as CEO and potentially more if they deem that the board's actions are harmful to investors.

Geoff is on notice and he knows it. That's what you saw in his body language.

Elliott might do things we don't like, but make no mistake that this is the beginning of the end for Geoff. Enjoy it. We've waited forever for it.

From the outside, Verizon looks like the safe play. Big paycheck, fat dividend, steady corporate perch. People ask: “Why would you ever leave? You could have milked the cow forever.”

But here’s the truth: that cow isn’t grazing in some open field. It’s chained in a barn, weighed down by debt, and it’s the employees who end up getting milked.

⸻

Dividends Don’t Pay Morale

Sure, investors cash the dividend. But if you’re on the inside, you don’t see that money. What you see are endless “transformation” projects, morale sinking year after year, and consultant slide decks dressed up as strategy. Try paying your spirit with that.

⸻

Stability Is a Mirage

From 30,000 feet, Verizon looks like a fortress. Inside, it’s duct tape and reorgs. Every year brings another round of “cost-cutting innovation.” Stability isn’t real here — it’s a talking point that masks constant churn.

⸻

Golden Handcuffs Rust Fast

People who stay aren’t milking Verizon — Verizon is milking them. More work piled on, promotions drying up, pensions shrinking. What looks like safety is really just slow erosion of your time and energy.

⸻

Better to Leave Before the Obituary

When Hans Vestberg finally announces his retirement, the spin machine will crank up. But the reality is simple: Verizon isn’t a growth story, it’s a modern utility in decline. Better to leave before that obituary phase than have your name tied to it.

⸻

The Real Win

Walking away wasn’t missing out. It was stepping out before the air ran out.

I didn’t just exit the cow.
I walked out of the barn.

HR head clown Eric Leef is leaving Hertz. Looks like he is the fall guy for the recent disaster employee survey. Good riddance! Unfortunately this departure won’t mean much for the Hertz employee workforce who are likely faced with continued compensation hardships stemming from a broken company.

This company is top heavy with unqualified leadership. People who earned their way to their positions not due to skill, but rather someone liked them. These are the very same people who continue to make poor business decisions. Can you believe the HR director left? What will happen to the unqualified “HR” managers? Many stemming from uneducated positions now working in Human interaction positions.
Here’s a tip: look at your highest generating RAC locations-those locations should have the most qualified HR managers. Not a payroll clerk now glorified as a senior HR business partner. lol !
You can’t make this insanity up.

Truist Employee Experience: “Lipstick on a Pig”

Ah yes, the "employee experience" at Truist where every town hall is a TED Talk nobody asked for, and executive leadership continues to serve up piping hot platitudes like it's Thanksgiving dinner at a corporate retreat.
"Bring your whole self to work!" they say, right after quietly slashing your budget and ghosting your promotion.
"Purpose. People. Performance." Translation: Buzzwords. Burnout. Bafflement. Bullsht
Meanwhile, we're expected to applaud new "well-being initiatives" (Mental Health post, **cough***) that involve nothing more than recycled thelayoff.com and LinkedIn posts from the Jolly Roger himself. You can slap a mission statement on a coffee mug, redesign the internal portal 17 times, and commission a 3-minute hype video of the Purpose Corner — but if morale is lower than your stock price, it's still just... lipstick on a pig.

Make a real move against a member of your MC who has singlehandedly placed his income and expanding real estate holdings over keeping the business afloat.

FIG is run horribly!

Placed on admin leave with no timeframe because "your position is under evaluation" due to "restructuring/reorg and looking to reduce costs"? Anyone familiar with this? Thanks!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DMf0cKQN2VX/

Congratulations to the board for a fine pick! You can count on them to make the right decision at the right time.

Executive leadership could have made a significant difference with Cisco - when you look at Google, Microsoft, NVIDA, etc they have very smart technical CEOs and have been able communicate and lead their companies into new key technology trends - unlike Cisco which always seemed to be caught flat footed over the last 15 years. Having a CEO that has weak technical aptitude has been one of our Achilles heel for way too long… so many missteps… so many lost opportunities…. it’s just embarrassing and has cost us dearly over the years…..

Surprise surprise.. 20-30% avg my a$$.

My org and grade range is being cut 50%

Heartless. I bet you c***suite gets a big pay bump and bonus next year for all their savings.

The company was already struggling, and now low morale and disengaged employees are making everything worse. What the he-l happened to this place?

There’s no sense of team spirit, no clear vision, and nobody actually guiding people forward. How this place is even functioning is beyond me.

It is frustrating to watch decisions come from the top with no clue about what the teams face every day. Hans and upper leadership seem unaware of the actual workload and challenges on the ground. No wonder we all feel drained when their expectations are ridiculous.

I got cut during the last round even while hitting all my targets. Management has little say in anything and no one seems to care about employee stability. If you think your job is untouchable, think again. There are plenty of companies out there with leaders who actually guide and respect their staff. It is frustrating to see how much this place has changed.

Gunjan over Stern? Stern seems like the natural replacement.

Will be amazing if AC’e career is destroying a 100 year old company

SW's bad leadership seems to have been realized and she is leaving. Please take lady unlucky with her out the door