![]() ![]() Levi's own political positionsĪ key part of the story is Levi's own history of political speech. The push ended this month with a landslide city vote to oust three school board members. She also stayed involved in a campaign to recall members of the San Francisco Board of Education, largely over extended school closures. ![]() And so she never stopped her public commentary on COVID-19 restrictions for children. Politics When Republicans Attack 'Cancel Culture,' What Does It Mean?Īt the same time, Sey describes receiving many messages of support from Levi's workers. Sey didn't discuss vaccines and says she's fully vaccinated, but her choice of platform escalated controversy. And she filmed more interviews: with author and anti-vaccine campaigner Naomi Wolf and with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who has cast doubt on COVID-19 vaccines and measures. Last spring, determined to send her kids to in-person school, Sey moved from San Francisco to Denver. "You can't really be a C-suite person these days and have a completely separate personal brand." Controversial interviews "It's such a high-powered position, most people will not separate it out," says Americus Reed, who studies brands and social identity at the University of Pennsylvania. Sey acknowledges her professional task was representing the Levi's brand, though she says she's a mom and a child advocate before being a business executive.īut is it possible for top executives to wall off a personal campaign from their company's image? "I was speaking as a mom of four, a public school mom of four." Sometimes, she spoke as a resident of San Francisco, where Levi's is based. Levi's was not in my public profile," Sey says. Sey had built her personal brand around outspokenness: She's a former elite gymnast who has written a book and produced a documentary about abuses in the sport.Įducation After 2 years, growing calls to take masks off children in school Where is the line between personal and professional opinions? And is that line different for high-level executives? Personal brand vs. Either way, Sey's exit has prompted big questions about corporations and speech. Levi's says no such offer was formally made. Sey's resignation made a big splash, as she said she walked away from a $1 million exit package, which would typically include a nondisclosure agreement. "Ultimately," Sey told NPR, "just about a month ago, the CEO said to me, 'There's just not a path for you here.' You know, 'It's all too much.' " Later in the year, Sey got promoted to Levi's brand president - on a path to potentially become the next CEO. In the spring of 2020, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Jennifer Sey took a hard-line, controversial position: Schools should stay open.Īt the time, Sey was chief marketing officer at Levi Strauss & Co., with 21 years at the company. Lintao Zhang/Getty Images for The Business of Fashion Former Levi's executive Jennifer Sey speaks at a conference in 2018. ![]()
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