BOTCHED ‘RALLYING CRY’

MillerKnoll CEO Andi Owen Apologizes After Viral ‘Pity City’ Tirade

After becoming notorious for the world’s least effective pep talk, the furniture exec apologized to her staff.

The CEO of publicly traded MillerKnoll sent a letter of apology to her employees on Tuesday, days after going viral for what she acknowledged was an epically botched attempt at “rallying” them over missed financial targets. During the initial video call, which took place several weeks ago, CEO Andi Owen dressed down staffers who complained that they weren't receiving bonuses at the furniture company, telling them it was time to leave “pity city.” (Owen’s 2022 compensation clocked in at nearly $5 million.) The message, she said Tuesday, was intended to “energize the team to meet a challenge,” though she admitted that it “landed in a way that I did not intend and for that I am sorry.”