Picture this: it's January 2023. The National Weather Service is warning that wind chills could hit -40°F. Parts of the Midwest are dealing with blizzard conditions. Every public agency is saying the same thing: this is going to be incredibly dangerous. Stay home and stay off the roads.
Despite all of that, the CEO decides the company holiday party and mandatory volunteer day must still take place.
This wasn't just a local event. People were expected to travel in from out of state. Those of us in Chicago had to Uber all the way out to Burr Ridge because most of us didn't own cars (but more on that later). Not only that, but some of the volunteer activities were supposed to be outdoors. (Thankfully, most of the nonprofits ended up canceling out of concern for the safety of their volunteers. Imagine that!) People raised concerns, not because they didn't feel like going, but because this entire situation genuinely felt unsafe- downright dangerous. The response, in so many words, was that attendance was expected and if you skipped it, it would be known.
That one event pretty much sums up what it's like to work at MX.
The culture under the current leadership is oppressive. Employees have openly been referred to as "billable resources." There have been repeated rounds of layoffs, and some of the hardest-working, committed, and most talented people were let go while others stuck around because they happened to be in the CEO's good graces. Decisions often seemed to be based more on vibes and personal loyalty than actual performance.
Then there was the acquisition.
In 2022, MX acquired the agency I worked for. MX promised that we'd remain largely independent, that our culture wouldn't change, and that we'd simply have access to more capabilities.
The original agency was based in downtown Chicago, and most employees lived in the city and relied on public transportation. MX's location was an obvious concern, but we were promised that we could work remotely. Then, almost overnight, the CEO decided mandatory in-office days in Burr Ridge were the new policy. It didn't matter that most employees didn't own cars or that the office isn't accessible by public transit. People begged for alternate solutions: Group transport to Burr Ridge from a central location downtown, or a WeWork location in the city. Instead, the CEO decided that employees should just spend literally hundreds of dollars a month ($120-$150 each day!) on Ubers to comply.
The whole thing could honestly be used as an MBA case study in how not to handle an acquisition. The original agency succeeded because we built real partnerships with clients. After the acquisition, our clients were subjected to a much more transactional, sales-first approach and decided to leave. Within roughly three years, the CEO had effectively dismantled everything they bought: the culture, the talent, and the client relationships.
I genuinely believe MX was probably a decent place to work before the current leadership team took over. But the CEO's ego, lack of trust in employees, used car salesman approach and inconsistent decision-making have done enormous damage.
