The former CEO of NBCUniversal, Jeff Shell, has been removed from his position due to an investigation that uncovered an "inappropriate relationship" he was having with a female employee at the company.
Despite earning $21.6 million per year, Shell willingly went against company policy and admitted to executives that he was involved in another inappropriate relationship within the company, ultimately risking his high earnings.
According to CNBC, NBCUniversal made an official statement on Sunday confirming Shell's termination through an email sent to all employees. The investigation findings came to light when an outside company was hired to look into a complaint against Shell.
The Daily Mail reports that Shell is presently married to Laura Fay Shell, who formerly worked for the City of Los Angeles.
In a statement released by Jeff Shell, he said, "Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal. I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret." Additionally, he added, "I'm truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down. They are the most talented people in the business, and the opportunity to work with them the last 19 years has been a privilege."
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and President Mike Cavanagh jointly commented on the matter, stating, "We are disappointed to share this news with you. We built this company on a culture of integrity. Nothing is more important than how we treat each other. You should count on your leaders to create a safe and respectful workplace."
They followed by stating, "When our principles and policies are violated, we will always move quickly to take appropriate action, as we have done here."
Recent years have seen NBCUniversal terminate another notable executive; the Vice President of the company, Ron Meyer. He was ousted in 2020 for reportedly revealing that he was subjected to paying a settlement to a woman he allegedly had a "consensual affair" with.
With Shell being the second executive to be terminated within a handful of years due to inappropriate conduct, NBCUniversal is reinforcing the crucial importance of upholding the company's policies and principles surrounding a respectful and safe work environment.
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