Honest Feedback

Who left the staff as of November 15, 2024? At least 2.

Apparently Nicole Bradley is gone. She was head of communications but she has disappeared. Her Linkedin profile does not tell us where she is now. Also gone Ayda Yurekli, who was an economist, now since november 'Independent' according to her linkedin profile. Cliff provides us agaisn with an immensely self congratularory message about his first year as President and concludes "We couldn’t have made these changes and this progress without the vision of our dedicated Board of Directors and the extraordinary effort of our immensely talented team." Immensely talented indeed. As the French would say: "on croit rêver".

What's going on? What is happening with the Foundation for a Smoke-Free World 's staff?

Visiting the Foundation's website I found out Charles Gardner (who was the only and closest of an advocacy person) was not listed any longer as staff.

Apparently he is not the only one to have departed as of September 2020: tobaccotactics  (click on main staff on the left) notes:

"In September 2020, FSFW updated its website to reflect that it has lost 14 staff members, which represented 38% of its total staff the previous week." But they wrongly state that Carolyn “C.B.” Blanckmeister is the Foundation’s Chief Health Science Technology Officer. In fact she was not listed any longer when I visited. What happened to explain such an exodus that also includes the recently hired COO, Nittin Mittal (his linkedin page is not updated yet). Several of the other staff who left were with the Agriculture program, including the Head, Jim Lutzweiler (linkedin page not updated yet), Chris Gray who mentions a 'strategic shift', Rob Henning,

Alexandra Solomon gender specialist, Matthew Waterson, and many others.

Also disappeared from the Board of Directors, Zoe Feldman. What gives? Any comment available? Those 'changes' take place 3 years after the launch of the Foundation on September 13, 2017.

Communication staff

Caitlin Shure. (Linkedin not updated for FSFW), Senior Com Manager, writer

Evan Hahn,  since March 2020 Executive Producer for the podcasts, not listed on the FSFW website, Linkedin profile

Carolyn Farnsworth, not listed as staff on the website but as author on the blog, copy editor for FSFW on Linkedin since March 2020

Nicole Bradley , VP Linkedin,  ex-Edelman (99/03) and Pepsi (2003/10),

Previous VPCommunications, was Mica Wilson who was at Pepsi at the same time (2003/10)  (linkedin)

Staff who left the Foundation and new hires

Staff who left the Foundation (as far as is known on May 27 2020)

December 2018 Alastair Bradstock  was director Nicotine pricing and taxation since December 2017

January 2019  Philippe Boucher (never appeared on the FSFW website. Hired in June 2018, to develop an online community platform, left early January 2019, after his complaint for bullying and harassment against X was dismissed)

January 2019  Mica Wilson  VP Communications and marketing. Mica stayed one year, was part of the Executive Team. The VP comm position passed on to Nicole Bradley  in April 2019 but she is not part of the Executive Team like Mica was and apparently her compensation is lower as she is not listed among the 5 highest paid employees. Nicole, like Mica worked, like Derek did, at Pepsi Cola. Linkedin 

April 2019 Madeline Smith (was a close collaborator of Derek since August 2017)  linkedin

July 2019 Tom Harding (initial COO) (hired in October 2017) linkedin

July 2019  Farhad Riahi, was Chief  Health, Science and technology Officer since February 2018)

October 2019  Claire Hohlt, was Director of Meetings since August 2917

January 2020 ? Lourdes Liz, Digital Communications Director (her Linkedin profile is not updated but she is not listed any longer on the Foundation's website) Only Nicole bradley is left from the initial Communications team.

February 2020  Ramla Benmaamar, was hired in March 2018 as Director Global Scientific Communications. Joined Sanofi Genzyme. Replaced by Carolyn Blankmeister, from Pfizer, included now in the executive team.

March 2020  Heather Majewski VP shared value initiatives , left for Swiss Re  (knew Derek for Vitality Insurance) Started in February 2018

As of today (May 2020) that's at least 10 persons on a staff of (now) 37.

What questions raise such a turnover? Nobody really cares. I assume it's considered business as usual and that's the way things are managed in the US. My personal take is that it's a high turnover and it raises suspicions there are "problems' in the working climate and staff management.

Why would 9 people leave an organization that pays them well and they hopefully joined with a strong commitment to its mission? Some left for another job (usually posted on their Linkedin profile) but definitely not all.

Who are the most recent hires? I found at least 10. Among the Executive team I find 3: a new COO (Nitin Mittal, from Microsoft among other companies), a new Chief Health Science and Technology Officer (Carolyn Blankmeister, from Pfizer), a General Counsel (Heidi Goldstein) 

As for the rest of the staff, I see at least 7:  Nada Adibah (Research Analyst) Michael Paskow (senior manager Health Research), Sarah Rajkumar (Director of epidemiology Health Science), Khartik Ranganathan (data analyst), Caitlin Shure (Senior Communications manager), Yuchen Xue (data analyst), Ayda Yurekli (Principal Economist, Finance).