When the day comes that a board of directors fires a CEO because of a PowerPoint, it will send a very clear signal about what is at stake these days when anyone gives a presentation. According to a report in the Financial Times, via Cliff Atkinson’s beyond bullets blog, that day already arrived for one CEO.
The FT reports about the firing last week of Brian McGowan, the CEO of Rentokil Initial, a UK company with 2003 sales of $4.3 billion and 93,000 employees, after his presentation at the company’s annual general meeting of shareholders. According to the report, “Wilde cut a sadly unprepossessing figure at Rentokil’s annual meeting… His presentation on Rentokil’s operations was death by PowerPoint – too long, too rambling, hesitant – red meat for shareholders who wanted to get their teeth into something.”
Full story and Cliff’s excellent commentary: Board Fires CEO Over PowerPoint