Upon hearing the news this morning that American Apparel CEO Paula Schneider was resigning from her post, we couldn’t help but feel a twinge of deja vu. After all, she’s far from the first top executive to cause a stir with a sudden departure.
Schneider resigned after two years on the job, taking over for the company’s previous CEO Dov Charney in 2014. And oh, hey, speaking of Charney, we thought we’d look back at a few other executives Schneider is joining in what we’ll call the Sudden Departures Hall of Fame.
1. American Apparel CEO Dov Charney: Fired Dec. 2014
After removing founder and then-CEO Dov Charney from his post in June 2014, American Apparel officially fired him in Dec. 2014. Following an investigation into his “alleged misconduct and violations of company policy,” the company said “it would not be appropriate for Mr. Charney to be reinstated as CEO or an officer or employee.”
Back in February, reports circulated that Charney was creating another retail chain in American Apparel’s likeness.
2. George Zimmer, Men’s Wearhouse: Fired June 2013
The founder and longtime face of the men’s clothing company who told shoppers that they’d “like they way they look” in a Men’s Wearhouse suit served as CEO until 2011, when he transitioned to the job of executive chairman. That all came crashing down in June 2013 when he was removed from that post, and subsequently resigned from the board altogether.
Zimmer might still like the way you look — though he’s likely legally prohibited from saying so — as he’s gone on to found an on-demand tailoring business and an online tux rental service.
3. Jeff Smisek, United Airlines: Fired Sept. 2015
When United Airlines and Continental merged, they kept the United name but elevated Continental CEO Smisek to be CEO and chairman of the combined carriers. He didn’t last long.
In Sept. 2015, amid allegations that he’d gone too far in his efforts to curry favor with the operator of Newark International — including allegedly creating an entire route between New Jersey and South Carolina just to ferry the Port Authority chairman to his other house — Smisek suddenly stepped down from his top position at the airline. But don’t feel bad for him — he received quite the golden parachute when he was let go, including free airport parking for life.
4. Ron Johnson, JCPenney: Fired April 2013
After a little more than a year as CEO of JCPenney, former Apple retail guru Ron Johnson was sent packing in April 2013.
During his tenure, he failed to resurrect the struggling retailer with efforts like his decision to disrupt the industry by getting rid of sales — a concept that he gave up on after only a few months.
The Wall Street Journal noted at the time that JCPenney’s board met “and agreed to part ways” with Johnson. Translation: you’re fired.
He’s got a new job now: hand-delivering cellphones for AT&T.
5. Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen: Resigned in Sept. 2015
While it usually takes at least a month of so for a scandal to result in a CEO getting the boot, Volkswagen’s Winterkorn was shot out the exhaust pipe less than a week after it was revealed that his company had been lying to regulators and the public about the efficiency and emissions on its so-called “clean diesel” cars. Technically, Winterkon resigned, saying he was stepping down after eight years as CEO “in the interests of the company even though I am not aware of any wrongdoing on my part.”
6. Mattel CEO Bryan Stockton: Fired Jan. 2015
Bryan Stockton’s 2015 exit from the toy company is memorable partly because it was so confusing: As Fortune reported at the time, Mattel issued a press release in Jan. 2015 saying Stockton would be resigning. But a few months later, the company changed its tune, noting in a regulatory filing that Stockton’s “employment was terminated.” His three years at the toy company were not easy ones, as Mattel struggled to compete amid sluggish sales of Barbie and Fisher Price products.
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist