Condé Nast CEO scrambles to calm staffers over wishy-washy memo on Hamas terror attack
Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch is scrambling to calm furious staffers after the magazine giant’s human resources department sent a vague, wishy-washy memo that failed to condemn Hamas’ terror attack against Israel that killed more than 1,200 people, including at least 22 Americans.
The initial memo sent on Tuesday by chief people officer Stan Duncan set off a firestorm inside the publisher of Vogue, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker over its noncommittal language about the attack — with some noting that the company’s One World Trade Center headquarters is at Ground Zero for the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
“As we witness the horrific ongoing violence in Israel and Gaza, we know many of our colleagues are suffering,” Duncan’s memo said. “Collectively we have family, friends and loved ones in all corners of the world, some directly experiencing crisis in the region. We wanted to make sure that all Condé Nast employees feel supported at this time.”
“People are pissed because it was a terrorist attack and Stan’s note is like, ‘Oh, both sides are being hurt,'” one Condé Nast insider said.
Another employee added: “It was so vague, which hurt people a lot.”
Sources told The Post that they reached out directly to Lynch demanding a more heartfelt response than the three-sentence email penned by Duncan.
On Wednesday afternoon, the CEO sent a lengthier response that laid out the company’s position in starker terms.
“As we have all been witness to the brutal attacks committed on Saturday, and as the reporting continues to show the magnitude of the atrocities, I want to be very clear that we as a company condemn the attack by Hamas against Israel, as well as all acts of terrorism,” he said. “Our priority is to support all of our employees and we will continue to add resources in our markets to do so … we are here for you.”
Lynch went on to tout the company’s journalism throughout the attack and he provided links to that work.
But some employees felt that the note was hamfisted, noting that there was no apology or even acknowledgment that the company bungled its response.
“I think people feel it’s too little, too late,” said an employee, who explained that even if Lynch’s note was “better” than the HR memo, it felt like the company’s “true colors were shown.”
“It seems like a clean-up for a real failure,” echoed another.
Not all employees shared the sentiment, according to a Condé Nast insider, who said that both Lynch and Duncan received emails of support for the company’s memos on the matter and its acknowledgment of the suffering during this difficult period.
Condé Nast declined to comment.
Anger over the Israel-Hamas war response comes as employees are on edge over a big restructuring that was announced on Tuesday.
The company recently announced it is reorganizing its video and editorial ranks with Condé Nast Entertainment president Agnes Chu set to leave at the end of the month.
Insiders speculated that the upheaval may translate to a fresh round of cuts, and noted that Lynch, who has been a divisive CEO, jetted around Europe for over two weeks last month to attend Paris Fashion Week, client meetings and the buzzy Vogue World London show with his family.
