Pity City CEO FINALLY Retiring
This is the CEO who told employees to stop worrying about bonuses and to "leave Pity City." Shortly after, leadership eliminated cash bonuses for employees that year— then turned around and used that same cash for a stock buyback the very next fiscal year.
The result is a masterclass in corporate hypocrisy: preaching sacrifice to workers while rewarding shareholders. A true leadership style design for the good of humankind. She didn't just damage employee morale — she turned herself and the brand into a symbol of exactly what's wrong with executive leadership in corporate America.
The numbers tell the rest of the story:
- Stock price when she took over (2018): $35 — it now sits at $15 in 2026
- Debt in 2018: ~$200 million — it has since ballooned to over $1 billion
This is what failing upward looks like. A decade of eroding value, broken trust, and a workforce that was asked to tighten its belt while executives protected their own interests.
The hope, no doubt, is that time buries it. It shouldn't.
Press:
https://news.millerknoll.com/2026-06-01-MillerKnoll-Announces-Leadership-Transition