出版商Rodale高层连续出走内幕

    作为独立出版商，Rodale Inc.不仅拥有《Men's Health》、《Runner's World》这样的时尚杂志，也出版过从《South Beach Diet》到霍华德•舒尔茨的《Onward》等很多书。如今，这家著名的出版公司正经历着多位高管先后出走的伤痛。据消息人士透露，高管出走的原因是不满于2009年9月上任的首席执行官玛利亚•罗德尔。

    本月，Rodale的出走高管名单又新增了两位，分别是国际营运高级副总裁米歇尔•梅尔考德和数字广告销售副总裁詹姆斯•克雷克勒。据一位前雇员透露，梅尔考德前不久才被升为战略主管，“成为了玛利亚的得力助手”。这位前雇员认为，梅尔考德的辞职可能代表着“一些公司问题已积累至极限”。梅尔考德和克雷克勒都没有回复置评请求。

    Rodale的高管陆续出走已有时日。公司发言人证实2011年辞职或被辞退的高管包括首席信息官肯•希特伦，《Men's Health》出版人杰克•艾西格，消费者参与总监安德鲁•利文斯顿，全球营销高级副总裁戴维•马奇，首席营销长格雷格•麦科森，执行副总裁兼集团出版人玛丽•默克，执行副总裁兼图书出版人凯伦•里纳尔迪，高级副总裁兼编务总监比尔•斯杜姆普以及定向出版副总裁瓦拉瑞•维勒特。Rodale.com总经理戴维•康（音译）、传播执行副总裁罗宾•夏罗和执行副总裁兼集团出版人玛丽安•贝克达尔也在罗德尔就任首席执行官后出走。除了斯杜姆普，所有这些高管都常驻纽约市，而不是Rodale位于宾夕法尼亚州Emmaus的总部。

    高管们为何选择出走？诚然，过去几年大多数出版商的日子都不好过。但即便是在困难时期，Rodale的高管出走之多仍异乎寻常。几位不愿透露姓名的Rodale现职员和前职员们表示，员工们已对管理层丧失了信心。

    在这个时代，很多出版帝国的盈利能力早已今非昔比，家族控制面临压力。Rodale仍努力维持着其作为美国最大的图书独立出版商的地位。此外，它也出品一些报摊上常见的健康和健身杂志。创立于1930年的Rodale现在仍由罗德尔家族所有和控制。在六人董事会中，有4位是罗德尔家族成员，包括玛利亚和她的兄弟姐妹安东尼、希瑟和海蒂。现年49岁的玛利亚•罗德尔1991年加入董事会，2007年当选董事长。Rodale历史上唯一一位非家族成员的首席执行官是史蒂夫•墨菲，他已于2009年离开Rodale、转投佳士得（Christie's）。

    前员工们将墨菲的离开视为高层震荡的开端。时任《Organic Gardening》杂志编辑的玛利亚•罗德尔出任Rodale首席执行官，让一些员工感到不满。“这是一个错误，”一位前雇员称，“在形势严峻时期找了一个新人来管理公司。”这位雇员还表示，新老板“感性而随和”的备忘录也让人们“频频摇头”，她的公开博客Maria's Farm Country Kitchen成了员工们取笑的对象。员工们开始自嘲公司的糟糕境地，称之为“Rodead”（意即Rod死了）。

    Rodale Inc., the independent publisher of lifestyle magazines Men's Health and Runner's World as well as books ranging from the South Beach Diet to Howard Schultz's Onward, has quietly suffered a stinging series of high-level departures. The reason, sources say, is frustration with CEO Maria Rodale, who took over in September 2009.

    The number of goodbyes grew last week with the resignation of Michelle Meyercord, senior vice president of international operations, and James Kreckler, a vice president who ran the company's digital ad sales. Meyercord had recently been promoted to head of strategy and "grew into Maria's right-hand person," according to one former employee, who describes the departure as "a tipping point for the company." Neither Meyercord nor Kreckler responded to requests for comment.

    Those departures are the latest in a long, slow exodus. A spokesperson for Rodale confirmed that the following people left or were fired in 2011: chief information officer Ken Citron; Jack Essig, publisher of Men's Health; Andrew Livingston, director of consumer engagement; David Marchi, senior vice president of global marketing; chief marketing officer Gregg Michaelson; Mary Murcko, executive vice president and group publisher; Karen Rinaldi, executive vice president and books publisher; Bill Stump, senior vice president and editorial director; and Valerie Valente, a vice president in custom publishing. Rodale.com general manager David Kang, communications executive vice president Robin Shallow and executive vice president and group publisher MaryAnn Bekkedahl also left after Rodale became CEO. All but Stump were based in New York City, rather than Rodale's Emmaus, Pennsylvania headquarters.

    Why the executive flight? Certainly, the last few years have been bruising for most publishers. But even in a difficult climate, the number of high-profile departures at Rodale is unusual. Current and former Rodale employees, who spoke with Fortune on condition of anonymity, describe a workforce that has become disillusioned with its leadership.

    In an era where family control of once-lucrative publishing empires has come under pressure, Rodale has managed to remain the largest independent book publisher in the country. It also produces some of the best-known health and wellness titles on newsstands. Founded in 1930, the eponymous firm is still owned and controlled by the Rodale family. Of the six-person board of directors, four are Rodales including Maria as well as siblings Anthony, Heather and Heidi. Maria Rodale, 49, joined the board in 1991 and was elected chairman in 2007. The only CEO in the company's history to come from outside the family was Steve Murphy, who left in 2009 to run Christie's.

    Former staffers point to Murphy's departure as the beginning of the turmoil. Maria Rodale, at that time the editor of Organic Gardening, took the company's top job, which chafed some staffers. "That was the mistake," says one former employee, "not seeking someone new to run the company in a tough time." This person adds that the new boss's "heart-warming and folksy" memos would leave people "shaking their heads" and that her public blog, Maria's Farm Country Kitchen, became a source of ridicule among the staff. Employees started joking about the dire atmosphere, calling the company "Rodead."