Better.com’s board of directors may have welcomed back CEO Vishal Garg, but his return has caused even more top execs to leave.
Garg became infamous for laying off 900 employees simultaneously in a single mass Zoom call. The move was widely panned by employees, critics, and the company’s own executives, several of whom resigned in protest.
Garg tried to apologize, but his apology did little put out the fire. He eventually agreed to a leave of absence, but the board announced his return little more than a month later. When announcing his return, the board said it was “confident in Vishal and in the changes he is committed to making to provide the type of leadership, focus and vision that Better needs at this pivotal time.”
It would seem at least some execs don’t share the board’s vote of confidence. Sarah Pierce, EVP, Customer Experience, Sales and Operations, as well as Emanual Santa-Donato, SVP, Capital Markets and Growth, have both left the company.
Pierce posted the following message to LinkedIn:
Yesterday was my last day at Better.com.
To the current and past employees at Better, I want to say how grateful I am for our time together.
Throughout my time, I would always get asked “what keeps you at Better?” From my first day to my last, my answer never changed: the people. For 6 years, I got to work with some of the smartest and hardest working people I have ever met.
To my colleagues at Better, I will miss you. And to the people who have left Better — it has been so inspiring to see the unbelievable steps you are taking in your careers and amazing companies you are joining.
To my extended Better family, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Don’t be a stranger!
Santa-Donato has not yet posted anything about his leaving, although he did post two months ago that he wanted to assist those who were laid off to find new jobs.