Business Wars Daily Away CEO Steps Down After Investigation Reveals Toxic Work Culture
Dec 16, 2019
Away's shiny branding is put to the test as an investigation uncovers a toxic work culture of long hours and public berating. CEO Steph Corey faces scrutiny and ultimately steps down, leading to the appointment of Stuart Hazelden as interim CEO. The podcast explores how the pressures from aggressive growth strategies contributed to these issues. Listeners ponder the potential fallout for Away's business and what this means for its future IPO plans while considering competitors like Tumi.
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Brand vs. Product Perception
- Away built a travel lifestyle brand while selling suitcases, attracting half a million mostly millennial followers on Instagram.
- The polished public image sharply contrasted with reported internal employee experiences and expectations.
Employees Describe Grueling Work Pace
- Former employees reported relentless work expectations with months of no weekends and unpaid overtime.
- They described Steph Corey berating managers publicly over small mistakes in Slack and in person.
Investigation Sparks Leadership Shakeup
- The Verge published a piece with screenshots of Slack messages showing Corey publicly castigating managers.
- After publication, Corey apologized on Twitter but then an interim CEO was announced days later.