[system16]

Maybe I'm just cynical, but their response comes off as disingenuous.

If the toxic culture is as widespread as is being reported, there is absolutely no way the CEO could not know about it - either by participating in it, condoning it, or just turning a blind eye to it. To come off as so shocked, dismayed, and completely unaware that there is such an issue is ridiculous.

To be fair, I don't see any other way he could respond to this and still save himself.

[Arizhel]

I really hate to defend a CEO with a devil's advocate response, as I generally say only bad things about executives, but I feel I must here, but note that I really know nothing about Uber's corporate culture or very much about the facts in this case. What I do know, from my work at some corporations, is that the people in the executive suite can frequently be very isolated from what's going on below them. So if the misogyny was kept at the lower levels, I think it's quite possible the CEO just didn't know. I've also noticed that, frequently, HR departments act like they're the ones running the company, and don't actually tell the execs what they're doing, so it's quite possible too that the HR goons were in on it, but since they have Napoleon complexes and liked to act like they're really in charge, they didn't tell the CEO anything.

So while I have little love for CEOs, I have far less love for HR directors, and if this ends up getting blamed on the HR people and their whole department is sacked, I'll by laughing my ass off. It's ridiculous how many horror stories I've heard about insane HR directors.