In the News–Crisis Management
A Year of Reckoning for Davos Man (and One Woman) in the Alps
Jeff Green, Bloomberg, January 20, 2019
These are uncomfortable times for the archetypal men of Davos — and at least one woman.
Established in 1971 to support a global, capitalist vision of the future, the World Economic Forum in Davos this year also offers a reminder of the public humbling of some of its most visible champions. Dozens of the assembled business leaders and exemplars present and past have been brought low by a wide range of misconduct allegations, including sexual harassment, mismanagement and financial misconduct.
“At Davos they are both reflecting and setting the culture,” said Davia Temin, whose crisis consultant company has tallied more than 1,000 people, mostly men, accused of harassment and other misdeeds in the last year. That same list includes more than two dozen men who are present or past Davos attendees. “They reflect the culture of leadership, and sometimes looking in the mirror helps to spur the discussion.” […read more]
Moonves Pay Punishment Caps Year of CEO Naming and Shaming
Jeff Green and Suzi Ring, Bloomberg, December 20, 2018
CBS Corp.’s decision to fire Chief Executive Officer Les Moonves and strip him of a $120 million payout caps an unprecedented year for naming-and-shaming in the corner office.
Corporate boards have been quicker to take action in 2018, now often announcing a CEO’s departure at the same time the misconduct was disclosed, said Davia Temin, founder of crisis consultancy Temin & Co. in New York. In October and November of last year, there were an average of 40 days between the first accusations and a firing. That has shrunk to almost zero now, she said, citing her database. […read more]
Woman Compiling MeToo Names Says They’re the ‘Tip of the Iceberg’
Jessica Brice and Jeff Green, Bloomberg, October 17, 2018
One year after the #MeToo movement began, Davia Temin’s team is still adding names to what’s known in her office as “the” index. It now totals more than 900, mainly men across the country (only 29 are women) accused of sexual harassment or assault or worse. The number’s still not very large, in Temin’s view.
“I’m sure this is the tip of the tip of the tip of the iceberg,” she said from the Manhattan headquarters of the crisis-management and consulting company she founded 21 years ago. “Believe me, you’re not hearing the worst stories. The worst cases — those people are still out there licking their wounds.” […read more]
Between Cosby and Kavanaugh — 810 High-Profile Public Figures Accused of Sexual Harassment
T&C Press Release, PR Newswire, October 3, 2018
NEW YORK, Oct. 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — As the #MeToo movement has redefined “acceptable” conduct in every sphere of society — from the workplace to the university, from Hollywood to the Supreme Court — reputation and crisis management consultancy Temin and Company has logged 810 high-profile figures from Cosby to Kavanaugh accused of sexual harassment. This creates a comprehensive database of those accused of #MeToo-related conduct since the arrest of Bill Cosby in December 2015.
Among the 810 Temin’s “#MeToo Index” has tallied are: 234 in arts and entertainment; 192 in politics and government; 159 in business; 114 in media and broadcasting; and 63 in colleges and universities. “Every sector has been affected,” says Temin CEO Davia Temin, “and leaders — CEOs and board directors – are looking for insight on why, why now, and how we can address the reputational risk of toxic workplace cultures.”
Weinstein was the Watershed
“We are at a pivotal moment when several aspects of the movement, and its pushback, are converging,” Temin continues. “As the nation is fixated on the Kavanaugh hearings and FBI investigation, as well as Cosby’s sentencing as a ‘sexually violent predator,’ October 5 also marks one year since the explosive revelations of Harvey Weinstein’s decades of sexual misconduct. Our data tells us that these revelations opened the floodgates and set off the spike in allegations around the world.” Accusations averaged 6 per month between Cosby and Weinstein, and jumped to 78 in October 2017, 119 in November, and 103 in December. The average in 2018 is 42 per month. “We are seeing the public impact of these accusations in real time, and the power they have to marshal public sentiment, outcry, and action.”
No One Wants to be a “#MeToo Company”
As allegations around sexual misconduct and toxic culture increasingly dominate the news cycle, the consequences for organizations have risen exponentially. An SEC filing by CBS on September 28 revealed CBS has received subpoenas from the New York County District Attorney and the NYC Commission on Human Rights, as well as a request for information from the NYS Attorney General’s Office regarding allegations against Les Moonves, “CBS News and cultural issues at all levels of CBS.” “A dramatic shift is occurring in organizations everywhere, and corporate boards – especially women board members — are paying serious attention,” says Temin. “No one wants to be a ‘#MeToo company’ today.”
Metrics Bolster Narrative
“Personal narrative, fueled by social media, has transformed the #MeToo movement into a powerhouse very quickly,” Temin says. “But I believe it takes narrative combined with metrics — with research — to put the issue in context and fuel its next wave. One person’s story on social media, even anonymous, strikes a chord with others who have experienced the same thing, sometimes perpetrated by the same individual. Victims may have felt alone before, but then recognize that they have been part of a pattern. They then post their stories, sometimes anonymously as well. Their stories attract others who do affix their names, and a powerful trajectory of truth is begun.
“But you can lie with narrative as well. We all know that. It is the wise combination of metrics, personal narrative, and pristine due process that will bring us closest to long-hidden truths that have damaged women’s progress forever. That is why I started this Index.”
#MeToo Index: Highlights
Compiling data of allegations around sexual harassment, sexual assault, rape, workplace misconduct, and other related behavior, the continuously updated Temin #MeToo Index defines “high-profile” accusations as receiving at least seven mentions in the popular media. The database includes over 25 information fields, ranging from the accused’s age, industry, date of accusation and resolution, to political party. Highlights from the Index include:
- A steep explosion in numbers of public accusations occurred after Weinstein revelations in the New York Times – October 5, 2017:
- June, 2017: 10
- July, 2017: 10
- August, 2017: 9
- September, 2017: 11
- October, 2017: 78
- November, 2017: 119
- December, 2017: 103
- After the spike in accusations following Weinstein, the number of accusations per month has held relatively steady over the last 6 months:
- April, 2018: 28
- May, 2018: 39
- June, 2018: 24
- July, 2018: 39
- August, 2018: 41
- September, 2018: 35
- Entertainment, politics, and business draw most accusations:
- Arts & Entertainment: 234
- Politics & Government: 192
- Business: 159 (including 40+ in finance)
- Media & Broadcasting: 114
- Colleges & Universities: 63
- Final resolutions of cases (many still pending) include:
- 75 Arrested (Some before or after being fired)
- 18 Deceased (3 committed suicide)
- 146 Fired
- 211 Resigned
- 18 Retired
- 53 Suspended/Are on Leave
- 104 Lost Work (including entertainers or sports figures)/Other
- 221 No Repercussions
- 56 CEOs are the subject of accusations to date. 21 CEOs of public companies and 29 CEOs of private companies have had accusations revealed in the media, in addition to 6 nonprofit CEOs. In the nonprofit sphere, there are also 20 CEO-equivalents, including directors, founders, and presidents of prominent, heavily-funded national and international organizations, who have come under fire, with all 20 leaving their positions, although one was re-elected after being exonerated of the charges.
- Accusations of sexual misconduct cross party lines fairly evenly. For those in political office accused of misconduct, the split is fairly even between Democrats and Republicans: 76 Democrats vs. 70 Republicans.
- 97% of accused are male. Asia Argento captured media attention by being on both sides of the #MeToo debate – accuser and accused – but 787 of the 810 alleged perpetrators of sexual harassment or assault on the Temin #MeToo Index are male.
- The time between accusation to resolution has been growing shorter. As #MeToo begins to be seen as a real reputational risk, organizations are paying attention to and acting on complaints more quickly. Some are even announcing the resolution of a complaint at the same time they announce the accusation.
And, separately, in the business sphere:
- M&A deal risk: Financial impact in the M&A space came with the arrival of the “Weinstein clause” in mid-summer ’18, mandating additional due diligence of executive conduct in target companies and allowing acquiring firms to pull out if they found something they didn’t like.
- Asset management flight: Investors are seeing firms with sexual harassment complaints as an investment risk; some portfolio managers are staying away and others are questioning company management about their workplace culture issues and how they are dealing with sexual misconduct.
- Corporate investigations into company culture: “The best organizations are conducting deep dives into their corporate culture to better understand how sexual harassment is tolerated, and the dynamics at play in their workplace. Boards themselves are also more involved in addressing cultural insufficiencies in their companies than ever before – a role that used to belong almost exclusively to management and HR.”
“We are at the tip of the iceberg as more and more organizations continue or begin investigations into their cultures in general and #MeToo incidents in specific,” says Temin. “More incidents will come to light. Different sectors are reacting on different timelines, and with different levels of seriousness, but this is a movement toward fairness and safety that will not be stopped. It is inexorable.
“Organizations seeking to create cultures not only of safety, compliance and security, but of mentorship, innovation, purpose, and excellence, are demanding zero tolerance for this kind of misconduct and are demonstrating greater willingness to mete out consequences when required.”
Leading in a ‘MeToo’ Era
Wanda Wallace, “Out of the Comfort Zone,” Voice America, September 14, 2018
In the era of #MeToo, less and less silence surrounds cases of sexual harassment. Companies and leaders need to know what to do to prevent the problem in the first place as well as how to respond to accusations whether the case can be proven or not. Tune in to hear the experiences and advice from Davia Temin, who counsels boards, companies and leaders on how to manage their reputations especially in times of crisis. […read more]
To download the episode, CLICK HERE.
Moonves Resigns Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Richard Quest, Quest Means Business, CNN Money, September 10, 2018
It’s a pivotal moment for the #MeToo Movement and for CBS. Their Chief Executive, Les Moonves, is leaving the company immediately, pushed out by fresh accusations of sexual assault. Moonves is the first Fortune 500 CEO to be ousted through the #MeToo era.
The controversy isn’t over because the details of Moonves’ payout is still to be decided. CBS shares have regained some of the early losses. They are still down for the day, that’s partly because with Moonves gone, the battle for control of CBS has come to an end.
Richard Quest talked to media reputation strategist, Davia Temin, about Moonves’ exit and potential payout, the #MeToo Movement, how a board should respond to years’ old allegations, and Serena Williams’ response to her fine at the U.S. Open. […read more]
From Pot Podcasts to Taboo Tesla Tweets, Musk’s Antics Continue
Eve Tahmincioglu, Directors & Boards, September 10, 2018
The Air Force is reportedly looking into Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s recent appearance on a popular podcast because it appears to showing the embattled executive smoking marijuana.
It’s the latest in unusual behavior by Musk, including a tweet storm last month when he claimed he wanted to take Tesla private and then changed his mind. The claims apparently surprised the company’s board; and they prompted a Securities and Exchange Commission inquiry.
Clearly, Musk marches to the beat of his own drummer, but in cases like this, what’s a board to do?
Corporate crisis and reputation adviser Davia B. Temin, CEO of Temin and Company Inc., weighs in:
There have always been “force-of-nature” CEOs. These are the geniuses who single-handedly build or propel organizations to new heights of innovation, achievement, profitability and impact. As a society, we tend to revere them, as much for their sins as for their sainthood. But, as directors, we are plunged into a conundrum. How much leeway do we give them, and when do we need to pull in the reigns? […read more]
Money managers get caught up in #MeToo movement
Christine Williamson, Pensions & Investments, September 3, 2018
In the year since Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual assaults came to light, institutional investors have begun to ask external money managers about their firms’ histories on sexual misconduct.
The nascent trend to ask money managers to disclose sexual harassment and assault settlements was sparked by the #MeToo movement, which reignited last October after women all over the world shared their stories of sexual abuse in response to the Weinstein revelations, industry observers said.
“Weinstein was the game changer,” said Davia B. Temin, formerly a money management marketing executive who now is president and CEO of New York-based Temin and Co. Inc., a crisis and reputation management specialist.
“Pension funds and other institutional investors aren’t going to invest — or remain invested — with money managers with reputational issues. Negative publicity is a huge deterrent,” Ms. Temin said. […read more]
The troubling case of Asia Argento, Jimmy Bennett and the #MeToo movement
Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, August 23, 2018
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is in the early stages of an investigation into allegations that actress Asia Argento sexually abused child actor Jimmy Bennett at a Marina del Rey hotel in 2013. But like so many sexual abuse allegations in Hollywood over the last year, this case is playing out in the media and the court of public opinion.
Law enforcement authorities from Los Angeles to London have investigated dozens of allegations against Hollywood figures including Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey and others. The Argento case, however, is unique because she was one of the leading figures calling out others in Hollywood for alleged wrongdoing.
“It’s a man-bites-dog story, and it’s an anomaly in a serious and profound movement forward,” said Davia Temin, a crisis manager who does research on the #MeToo movement. “It shows that the story gets more complicated.” […read more]
Les Moonves, The Most Powerful CEO To Face #MeToo, Is Winning. So Far.
Emily Peck, Huffington Post, August 19, 2018
It’s been more than three weeks since The New Yorker published Ronan Farrow’s damning article on Les Moonves, the longtime chief executive of CBS. The allegations were horrifying.
For all the hype about how the Me Too movement is taking down powerful men, nearly a third of the most high-profile executives and celebrities accused of misconduct since 2015 haven’t lost their jobs, according to data compiled by New York crisis consulting firm Temin & Co.
Temin started tracking this back when women were coming forward with accusations against comedian Bill Cosby, but the movement really gained speed in the fall of 2017, after the Weinstein allegations came to light. In all, the firm says, 483 executives and celebrities have been accused publicly, which it measures by being mentioned in at least seven major publications. Of that number, 144 have not experienced any professional fallout ― yet. That includes Trump, Moonves and Jeff Fager, the “60 Minutes” executive producer. Some may be under investigation.
At least four have already made comebacks, according to Temin. […read more]
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