Roger Lynch departed Condé Nast headquarters on Wednesday by rappelling from the roof to a waiting helicopter, ending more than seven years as CEO and beginning his new role at Mattel before the rotor wash had cleared the plaza. Employees were instructed to applaud from their cubicles without looking up.
Lead Independent Director Mike Perlis, named interim CEO, was assigned a folding chair in the lobby beside the security desk and told the permanent successor search would be conducted in the stairwell between the third and fourth floors. «We felt the corner office should remain empty as a mark of respect,» a company spokesperson said. «Mike is fine. He has a cushion.»
By Thursday, Condé Nast had converted its entire executive floor into a museum of Lynch's tenure, with a gift shop selling miniature helicopters and a daily reenactment of the departure at noon. The search committee now interviews candidates while walking up and down the stairs, a method described in an internal memo as «dynamic and cost-effective.»
At Mattel, Lynch has ordered the construction of a full-scale replica of the Condé Nast building in the parking lot, where he will work alone until further notice. «I left it stronger than I found it,» he said, gesturing at the helicopter. «Now I will build it again, smaller.»