Nestlé's Laurent Freixe to Astronomer's Andy Byron: Global CEOs fired over office romance
From the very recent case of Astronomer's CEO Andy Byron being fired to the latest case of Nestle dismissing CEO Laurent Frexie, other high-profile exits have been over workplace romance.
CEOs who have been fired for office romances
Office romances in many companies are restricted, which is because of legal liabilities and a negative work environment. Organisations implement policies for mandatory guidelines for professionalism. After the recent case of Nestle firing CEO Laurent Frexie, here are cases of other global CEOs who have been fired for office romances.
Nestle: Laurent Frexie
As per the report of AFP, the departure of Laurent Frexie is followed by an investigation into an undisclosed romantic relationship with a direct subordinate, which breached Nestlé's code of business conduct. In the rapid development, Nespresso CEO Philip Navratil was named as Nestlé's new CEO by the board.
Astronomer: Andy Byron
Andy Byron, the Astronomer CEO, resigned after he was caught having an extramarital affair with his company's HR during a Coldplay concert. Bryon and the Astronomer's HR Chief, Kristin Cabot, were caught having intimate moments during the musical concert in Boston when the kiss-cam suddenly captured them on the big screen. The resignation came after the company stated on LinkedIn, saying that recently their 'standards were not met'.
Boeing: Harry Stonecipher
He is an American business executive who was president and CEO of American aerospace companies Sundstrand, McDonnell Douglas, and The Boeing Company. Reportedly, he had to submit his resignation upon request of the Boeing Board of Directors in 2005 after an internal investigation revealed a consensual relationship with Boeing executive Debra Peabody.
Hewlett-Packard: Mark Vincent Hurd
Mark Vincent Hurd was the chairman, CEO, and president of Hewlett-Packard before his forced resignation in 2010. As per reports, he was forced to step down after a sexual harassment inquiry unearthed false claims designed to cover up a close personal relationship with a former contractor. He was later the CEO of Oracle Corporation. Mark Vincent passed away at the age of 62, reportedly due to cancer.
Kenneth Melani
Kenneth Melani was the former president and CEO of Highmark, a health insurance company based in Pittsburgh and the largest health insurer in Pennsylvania. As per reports, he was put on unpaid leave after he was arrested for allegedly assaulting his lover's husband, Mark Myler. This is due to Myler's wife, Melissa, who has worked in the same company and was involved in a romantic relationship.
)
)
)
)
)