#leadership

Dan signed up for multi billion dollar transformation.

15k layoffs wasn't enough.

More cuts def coming and it seems like execs are getting real with their teams and just flat out scrutinizing everything.

The Sr Directors are also lacking one of the two main key skills. 1) leadership 2) technical knowledge.

Only a handful around that can do both. Can't grow a company if u are just one.

Thoughts?

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/occidentals-hollub-us-oils-most-powerful-woman-prepares-hand-over-reins-sources-2026-03-26/?fbclid=PAT01DUAQybWVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA81NjcwNjczNDMzNTI0MjcAAafvEuiIvnOvKTiucnWJcB1zyFCfbWHhW_KaX6Mmok57YQFFkEPot3kQ_x0FLA_aem_BAgLm0TWnrRFWSQ4s0hIsA

So this was just a “let’s sell you on AI” meeting?
This spin is infuriating. Don’t pi-s on my leg and tell me it’s raining.
AI already took jobs. Just because they were taken first doesn’t mean AI didn’t replace them. In a way I guess it’s true because those who are still employed just have the additional burden of trying to get the job done - until AI can learn. But leadership will keep repeating that it’s not taking jobs. Maybe if we keep hearing it we will believe it?
And are we really bragging that 3 employees were “repurposed” so people start feeling safe?
Just stop. It’s insulting.

Here’s what you can start doing:
Be honest about what the vision is for this company and who has a true future with Canon. Give people the resources to develop marketable skills and move on if your long term plan does not include them. People have families to raise.

He's a bald meatball with no spaghetti, ziti, or cavatelli.

Now with this merger it’s time to get rid of C Smith, Boling, and Lucas. They have destroyed this company.

For those sensible enough to miss this, it was an hour of “John Smith, Fred Bloggs, Mavis Fritter…… all doing a fantastic job”. Next account, same script. Never knew there were so many accounts!
Nothing about pay reviews. Apparently everyone (except a few in Ireland) are all working above and beyond, so message from Captain DA was to work harder so he can get a few more DXC gilets. No Q&A as everyone knew what the topic would be.

https://www.businessinsider.com/paramount-skydance-return-to-office-rto-mandate-remote-employees-relocate-2026-3

It's too much expecting things to improve when it's not just one thing, it's everything. Change the leadership, but if we still have the outdated systems, the processes that require I jump through fifteen hoops to get something done, and the nonexistent morale among the employees, thing will hardly improve. This place needs a major overhaul, top to bottom.

End of Q1

Reading the flurry of posts here is tough for me as I'm sure it is for many others with survivor's guilt. Can't help but want to leave ASAP from this sinking ship. FWIW, here's what I learnt about the situation today (some of it repetitive of what's already been shared).

This is a pilot initiative affecting CIO, Dev and PS.

Affected capital markets solution groups for pilot = IAM (InvestTran, InvestOne) and Data (DIM, PIM, CAM).

Cap markets pilot is just for these solution groups in 2026, with full rollout planned in 2027 across others. Obviously these timelines are subject to change.

LoB (line of business) was kept in the dark until this week.

Effective immediately: people being RIF'd (backfilled in Zensar) and rebadged (moved under Zensar). RIF announcements were made today.

RIF vs rebadge is based on employee grade and where Zensar has offices to take on ex-FIS staff.

But hey, glad that didn't stop the company taking its top brass and the 2025 leading sales performers (and their +1s) to a fancy resort in Switzerland via business class for a week.

For shame, FIS leaders. It's not that we don't understand shareholder primacy, it's just that this all feels like it was so avoidable.

Here is the rundown:

Moving to a 'open contribution' model. Near 100% adoption of AI across the company.
Moving to an 'AI first' mindset. Ty Thorsen (SVP) announcing new 'AI transformation' team to force the use of AI across the board for all engineers.

Still have no growth strategy, just directions and empty promises, AI is taking over increasing burnout, you know what that means...

Moving fast fast fast and faster, more speed more acceleration more efficiency, aiming higher doing better bigger goals yap yap yap typical corporate jargin bla bla bla be excited about company growth (dont ask for more pay)

Karlheinz wurm could not pronounce 'cost', kept saying 'co-k'

Overwhelming negative feedback in the Q&A about RTO.
The anonymous questions are funnily brutal, the top voted one:
"As an office-first organization, shouldn’t all the leaders on this call be present at their main collaboration sites?"

Ty Thorson (SVP) """"answers"""" RTO concerns:
'While individuals might be more productive at home, teams are more productive working together in person" holy cope

"we are not the only ones doing this..." slap to the face

"Were leading this with a carrot, not with a stick. We are hoping the people will appreciate coming into the office for their team" trying to blame YOU for their bad decisions

Then they start blatently deleting all of the tough-to-answer RTO questions. Absolutely comical as more and more people ask "Why are you deleting RTO questions". So much for being a transparent company.

The rest of the questions are sidestepped and doesnt really answer anything, typical corporate vetted PR talk around the use of AI and how its going to change the world.
Constantly reciting the absolutes, like "all", "most of", "best", "must", "fully", "completely" etc.

People are asking some really brutal questions now, example:
"Someone deleted the question??? Please have all leaders show who is currently in the office if we are to believe you are leading by example"

They keep deleting questions rapid-fire.
Atmosphere gets tense.
No actual questions answered.

"I see concerns about topics like RTO, please message xyz if you feel this way"

"Will we compensate people for gas and time lost coming into the office? Thats not part of Cisco's policy its your responsability to take care of that" lol thanks lets create a problem and expect you to pay for it

The questions in Slido get REALLY heated now, moderation is working overtime deleting messages. More and more questions on compensation not increasing with inflation.

Out of all the leadership speakers, only 4 were in the office.
Everyone couldnt even come into the office to give a talk about returning to the office.
Great lead by example.

The rest of the meeting was a big nothingburger.

It cannot be any clearer how dogshit current leadership is.
If you havent quiet quit by now, this is your signal.

We're all in agreement to only work 4/5 days a week and only put forth 80% effort right? for those who havent quiet quit already please do so and stop taking this job seriously. stop slacking ppl, stop scheduling meetings, just ktlo because that is exactly what kkr and elt are doing.

https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/people-who-love-corporate-bs-are-bad-at-their-jobs-new-cornell-research-confirms/91314405

Will HR make him send an email with an official apology or will 3000 RND employees be quietly told to ignore him? Either way confidence is lost.

He fired the testers causing an explosion in escaped bugs. BH apologed for him.

His rolling reorg has slowed work so badly that he thinks T-TH will fix the mess he made. Will the reorg ever be code complete?

He put US RND teams under the direction of an inexperienced director in another country with a 5 hour time difference. How does that help in person innovation?

He split Viya 3.5 and 4.0 RND teams putting them in competition ki-ling any chance for a smooth customer upgrade.

He has not developed one working GenAI SAS model after two years of trying.

He gave up a 19 point lead in the NCAA tournament.

Anything else?

I can’t confirm whether every rumor going around is true, but I can speak to what many of us see and feel inside the team. There’s a clear sense of favoritism and decisions that don’t always seem based on merit.
It’s also concerning to watch the CEO receive multimillion‑dollar compensation while work is being sent overseas, reducing local opportunities and creating even more uncertainty for employees.
This isn’t about attacking anyone or repeating unverified claims. It’s about pointing out a culture where some people protect each other while others are left vulnerable, which naturally creates distrust and discourages those who work with integrity.
Fair leadership should focus on transparency, equity, and real accountability.

GPC finally fired not retired our supposed tech leader. He destroyed a great organization. Next they will move to take out all his minions.

They surprised me at the speed in which they lock out laid off employees from the laptops. We are talking 15-30 minutes. And they can discreetly delete the Outlook and Teams app off your phone within an hour. I guess the proficiency is due to the high volume of practice they receive every six or so months.

Now, only if Team Shannon Bell could find away to fulfill routine employee IT requests in a timely manner. Right now we are talking weeks, and in some cases, months.

This company is a clown show.

Get ready those who were favored by past PDR representation with no technical merit or expertise in what you do at CVX (what I mean, NO demonstrated experienced or past in the team you are supporting) . Yes, you know who I am talking about.. a role in MCBU means or adds nothing to OffShore no matter what you define as a factory of process... The gig is up for CVX lazy nobodies, that float between GENV and Exploration team. WHEN was CVX last organic new Country Entry that wasn’t with an acquisition?! Get ready for a new org with Hess in power..AND their newest recruit from Total. Yes, it’s demoralizing that CVX couldn’t clean up their own mess but after 13+ dry holes and only an NOJV discovery to celebrate… wasn’t it TIME???!

I'm surprised and honestly impressed Srini is going to be taking questions from employees like that. There's some hard questions people have thumbed up and I don't think this is anything Mike S would have done and I don't think it's anything Freier or other SLT would consider. First time I've had any hope in leadership around here in awhile.

Today we found out that a member from my team who has only been on the team for two years will be getting promoted. That person is still very new and has a lot of questions and in my opinion work to do. One of other members on the team who has been here for 6 years is always helpful, knowledgeable, and shockingly passed for this promotion. If anyone deserves it then it’s him and I’m shocked he didn’t get it. Surprised manager or vp didn’t feel this way and went with the other team member.

So he could be part of Trumps AI board. First, he took the knee, which is embarrassing for him and his company.
Second, he just reaffirmed he’d do anything for a buck
Finally, he showed what a greedy, money grubbing wh--e he is.

The leader who seems to be behind this was employed by this contracting company. Check out his LinkedIn.

If you ever needed proof that ethical leadership is the load‑bearing pillar of any functioning organization — especially one trying to execute strategy or implement AI — look no further than the heralded halls of 240G. It serves as a cautionary tale carved into the ruins of a once‑stable institution: the pillars are cracking, the principles are eroding, and leadership is standing beneath the rubble insisting everything is “on track.”

Ethical leadership is supposed to be the foundation that holds up culture, trust, and long‑term strategy. Without it, the entire structure becomes a hollow monument — impressive from a distance, but one strong gust of “cost optimization” away from collapse. And according to current and recent leadership experience, that gust arrives at least once per quarter.

In a healthy organization, leaders model integrity, transparency, and accountability. In the version described on this site, leadership treats principles like decorative columns: nice to look at, but purely ornamental. They talk about values while quietly chiseling away at them by their own examples. They praise employees for resilience while removing the very supports that make resilience possible. They speak of transformation as if it’s a noble journey, not a slow demolition of institutional memory.

This is where AI enters the picture — and where the absence of ethical leadership may become catastrophic.

AI can be a powerful tool for strategy execution, but only if guided by leaders who understand its impact on people, processes, and culture.

Without ethics, AI becomes a mechanized wrecking ball: efficient, emotionless, and devastatingly precise.
Imagine an AI trained on the behaviors described on this site by our current and former associates. It would:
• Automate layoffs with the enthusiasm of a demolition crew
• Flag “low engagement” as a structural defect
• Recommend replacing experience with cheaper concrete
• Generate leadership messages that say nothing but sound inspirational

Strategy execution cannot survive in a culture where the pillars are cracking and leadership keeps insisting the dust clouds are “a sign of progress.” AI certainly can’t.

The truth is simple:
You cannot build a sustainable future on eroded principles.
Not with strategy.
Not with AI.
Not with any amount of corporate spin.

Ethical leadership isn’t optional — it’s the only thing preventing the entire structure from collapsing on the people still holding it up.

Will it go into the $5 range tomorrow? What is Jim Kelly and the ELT leadership messaging internally on this? Jim Kelly famously tells everyone in his ruthless way his job is “the stock price.”…well?

You’re not viewed as an investment, you’re treated as a cost to be managed. That distinction is intentional. This isn’t leadership, it’s management in its most short-sighted form.

There’s no real vision here - only a fixation on near-term optics and personal gain. Anyone outside of that inner circle is reduced to a line item, something to optimize or eliminate in service of short-term efficiency metrics. The broader, long-term impact simply isn’t part of the equation.

They understand the job market dynamics. They know there’s a steady pipeline of applicants. That knowledge reinforces a mindset where people are interchangeable and, ultimately, expendable. It removes any incentive to invest in talent, develop people, or build something durable.

The cost-cutting decisions they make carry little immediate consequence for them personally, since they’re insulated from the actual work and its downstream effects. But those same decisions generate immediate, tangible upside for themselves, whether in compensation, perception, or internal positioning.

So the system sustains itself: extract value now, defer consequences, and treat people as replaceable inputs rather than assets worth investing in.

The current AI push from senior management and the directors will bring this company to its knees. These people are too old and out of touch to understand what this technology actually is. It can be utilized in productive ways by individuals that have experience using LLMS and have a solid grasp of what LLMS are and what they are not. You cannot vibe code our systems. You need to hire and train journeymen so when the seasoned experts retire you have competent people to take the reigns that actually comprehend what they're looking at. Script-kiddies used to be a bad thing, now we're building on the backs of something much worse. For any manager reading this, when has copilot ever told you an idea you have is bad? Or even offered a different suggestion? It hasn't, because these models are trained to retain users. And the best way it does that is through sycophantic praise. I thought we had intelligent people at least making decisions for us. After seeing that AI ignite training I now understand that we are in for a very tumultuous time ahead. For any coder on here, keep learning and cutting your teeth on the stack. You will be needed once our leaders destroy this company. And for the process and maintenance techs, don't let them make you feel inferior or easily replaceable. These systems are powerful but we need the creativity and problem solving of you to make this company succeed. My heart weeps for any young person getting into what used to be a very presitigious career path. Please do better for the sake of the families that GF keeps fed.

Nothing says ‘role eliminated’ like replacing it. Got the news today, Director+ leadership cuts still rolling (not PS/tech dev outsourcing) but yet intend to replace!

Maybe that'll finally force leadership to step up their game and actually run the business instead of just extracting wealth.

Another issue, another meeting where leadership sits back while someone from our level gets asked to explain. The people who made the decision are once again nowhere to be found. It's always the same: blame rolls downhill and we're at the bottom. I hate it here.

https://fortune.com/2026/03/24/centene-ceo-sarah-london-health-care-insurance-trump-medicaid/

Fortune just dropped a fluff piece on Sarah London. It’s a masterclass in fluffy bootlicking. How much did the company pay for this pile of trash?

They call her a "mission-driven" savior fighting for Medicaid. Ba-f!

Let’s start with the photo. It’s awful. She looks completely dead in the eyes. There is zero warmth. Zero humanity. Just the cold, vacant stare of someone who fires thousands of people and then complains to CNBC about her "stressful schedule."

Fortune gushes over her "social impact" goals. They forgot to mention her $20M paycheck, while the company posted a $6.7 billion net loss last year.

She isn't driven by a mission. She’s driven by a massive bonus while her company burns and she runs MFN's legacy into the ground.

She's just a Layoff Queen who talks about "operating discipline." That’s corporate-speak for firing people. We all painfully know how many thousands of lives she's ruined with her inept leadership and lack of strategy. No amount of glowing praise from "Culture Karen" can redeem her.

"London Calling" started her career in Hollywood. It shows. She isn't a healthcare executive. She’s a storyteller. A pretty face with a vacant stare. This is just her latest script. She talks about "affordable housing" to distract from the fact that her business model relies on denying care and firing the people who do the actual work.

She is the ultimate corporate grifter. High on rhetoric. Low on ethics. Exceptionally well-compensated for failure. She isn't fighting for Medicaid. She isn't fighting for her employees. She’s fighting for her next glossy magazine profile. I've never seen anyone fail upwards so well.

Will it be below 14$ by the end of the week? It’s a sinking ship while Executive’s are being fed grapes.

Great town hall, love the continued ask to do more without any mutual benefit.

• No real numbers, just colors and words

• No guarantees to top level performers for bonus or compensation

What would intelligent leadership look like?

Go into the successful locations, what is the common denominator?

STRONG MANAGEMENT that is incentivized to push a team through difficult times.

What is reality?

No incentive.

No reciprocal individual EBITDA benefit

Healthcare isn't office supplies, so DECREASING benefits and hours while INCREASING demands is a fools plan.

When this destructive self imposed Sycamore failure is complete, there will be business case studies added to college macroeconomics courses demonstrating how to NOT run a business.

Monthly bonus for hitting goals could be a good start for MGR, do you have zero motivational ideas Sycamore?

This townhall stood out from the usual scripted updates—it felt more real, direct, and intentional. Instead of just showcasing achievements or high-level strategy, this one leaned into transparency, addressing ground realities. The tone was more candid and less corporate, which made the message land better. It didn’t feel like a one-way presentation; it felt like a reset—aligning everyone on priorities, expectations and the need to execute better. Overall, it felt like a signal that leadership is aware, engaged, and possibly gearing up for change.

What actually is this ?! ELT trying to cause a panic or failing at slapstick?

The title explains but what has your experience been with him?

I’ve been here awhile, I see VP/SVP’s all of a sudden posting pictures of themselves with their teams on LinkedIn at their self-indulging little town hall meetings “look at me”, “I’m great”, “don’t fire me”.

Meanwhile, they have been here for decades, never worked anywhere else. Let me fill you in, you’re not the solution, you are the problem so save us your vanity posts and how much you miraculously now know about AI or Verizon Customers. lol

https://share.google/yCnfFlv0cN1lZFXeM

https://deadline.com/2026/03/david-ellison-lawmakers-letter-jobs-paramount-wbd-merger-1236760899/

Noticing a pattern lately where a lot of the heavy lifting gets done by individual contributors, and then the narrative shifts upward when it’s time to present outcomes.

Genuinely curious—why does this keep happening, especially at the D and SVP levels? Is it visibility, communication gaps, or something more structural?

Would be great to hear how others have seen this handled (or fixed) in their orgs.