The 2020 pandemic has been tough on everyone, and MillerKnoll has been hit hard, too, and it’s been unable to satisfy its employees with bonuses in 2023. In addition to disappointing them, the furniture brand’s CEO Andi Owen even scolded workers who complained about the bonus—even though she was due $1.2 million in additional compensation in 2022. Apparently, this caused so much hate that the CEO had to deactivate her social media accounts.
Read on to learn more about Andi Owen’s Biography.
Herman Miller CEO Andi Owen criticized for comments on bonuses
In April 2023, a video of Andi Owen surfaced in which she told her employees, “There are questions about, ‘How can we stay motivated if we don’t get bonuses… What can we do? What can we do?’”
“Some of them are very good, and some of them are not so good,” she added before answering the question herself. “The most important thing we can do right now is focus on the things we can control.”
The CEO then went on to talk about how COVID-19 is affecting the supply chain and how none of them could have predicted the bank collapse. “But what we can do is stay in front of our customers, provide the best customer service we can to get orders out the door, treat each other well, be kind, be respectful, focus on the future because the future is bright,” she added.
The video was going well up until this point when suddenly, she said, “Don’t ask about ‘What are we going to do if we don’t get the bonus?’ Let’s just make that fucking $26 million,”
“Spend your time and energy thinking about the $26 million we need and not thinking about what you’re going to do if you don’t get the bonus. Okay? Can I commit to that a little bit?”
Clearly, this was not the encouragement the employee was expecting. To make matters worse, she shared an anecdote about a lecture she received from a former boss. “I had a former boss who said, ‘You can visit the city of pity, but you can’t live there,’”
“Well then, everyone, let’s leave this miserable city! Let’s get this done,” she remarked.
Naturally, the internet went crazy as this video went viral.
“This is a perfect illustration of the self-deception that people like Andi Owen are guilty of. Watch until the end,” one Tweet read.
What is Andi Owen’s net worth?
Andi Owen boasts a net worth of over $20 million as of 2023 — largely thanks to her time as CEO and board member of MillerKnoll.
Despite a 4.4% drop in company sales in early 2023 with orders down 19%, Owen was paid a base salary of $1.1 million the year before, according to the report. She also received nearly $1.4 million in stock awards, $867,000 in options, and $1.3 million in “non-equity incentive” compensation, for a total of $4.98 million in cash last year.
However, her salary also decreased because she previously received $6.4 million.
In addition to his role as CEO of MillerKnoll, Andi serves as Chairman of the Board at HAY and as a Board Member at Taylor Morrison in 2023.
Prior to that, Andi was President and CEO of Herman Miller for three years, Board Member of Mizzen+Main for nearly two years, and Global President of Banana Republic for two and a half years.
From 1991 to 2014, she also served as Manager/Senior Vice President/CEO/Executive Vice President for Gap Inc.
In terms of education, Andi received her Bachelor of Arts from William & Mary. She then attended Harvard Business School to study AMP, Business Administration and Management.
Andi Owen’s age
Andi Owen was 57 when she was involved in a controversy in 2023.
Did you know: Andi’s full name is Andrea R Owen.
Is Andi Owen married?
Yes, Andi Owen is married to her husband Glenn Karpf. He is said to be an animator and visual effects coordinator who has worked on films such as Spider-man (2002, as SPI CG Character Animation Coordinator), The Patriot (2000, as Visual Effects Coordinator), Stuart Little SPI (1999, as Visual Effects Coordinator and Godzilla (1998, as Digital Effects Coordinator).
Glenn turns 57 on October 30, 2022.
Andi Owen Family
Andi Owen comes from a family of four.
Her mother, Donna Pugh Owen, was born on December 8, 1939, in Mathews, Virginia, United States. She received her BA from Lynchburg College (Virginia) in 1961, her MA in Teaching from Lynchburg College (Virginia) in 1969, and her MA in Education from the College of William & Mary in 1988. While earning her own degree, she also taught elementary school, and after receiving her MA, she became the director of the pre-college program and associate professor at the Center for Gifted Education, College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Donna was also listed by Marquis Who’s Who as a notable school system administrator.
Regarding her siblings, Andi has an older brother named R. Donald Owen.
Sadly, her parents-in-law, Carole Betton and Norman R. Karpf, both passed away on February 4, 2006 and November 9, 1992, respectively. Additionally, her brother-in-law, Paul Norman Karpf, breathed his last on March 22, 2019, at the age of 51.
Andi Owen’s height
Andi Owen stands over 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) tall.
Related FAQs
-
Does Andi Owen use Twitter and Facebook?
She deactivated her IG @andiowenhm, Twitter and Facebook accounts due to the backlash.
-
What is Andi Owen’s birthday?
Andi Owen’s birthday is in May. This means she is a Taurus or Gemini.
Andi is from Grand Rapids, MI.