• shalafi@lemmy.world
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    15 hours ago

    You can tell most everything you need to know about a company by looking at the CEO. That’s because they’re the leader, they set the tone, contrary to lemmy beliefs. Happy or unhappy employees? Look to the CEO. Solid earnings, year after year after year? CEO. I ask at every interview, “What’s the CEO like?” BUT…

    A) Ultimately, CEOs do what the fucking board of directors wants, or they get fired, hence, the golden parachute. Would you take a monster job knowing that you could be forced to fuck your industry reputation and not hedge that bet? Nah. Force me to do something stupid yet needful? I want paid when you fire me on purpose for doing what you said.

    B) I think you are in an echo chamber around here. Most CEOs are great folks, you only hear about the major fuck ups at the major companies. Also, the decisions the big dogs make that lemmy tells you are unpopular, really aren’t unpopular in the wider world. EA Games still exists after all.

    • Septimaeus@infosec.pub
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      3 hours ago

      Board of directors

      Correct. The board defines the company, not the CEO.

      CEOs are usually puppets. Whatever role they play, you can bet they were hired specifically to play it, and were incentivized to stick to the script.

      Their job (legally, their fiduciary obligation) is to maximize shareholder value, to take the credit or blame, and fuck off.

      The board (typically key stakeholders) are so pleased when the public focuses on their CEOs, even if it’s for their shitty opinions, behavior, or obnoxious salaries.

      Because the worst thing that could happen to them would be for the public eye to actually follow the money, and it’s easy to see why. If the rabble truly understood how many more golden parachutes you were sitting on, they might ask you to share.