• By  Zonker
• Post dateElsewhere
  
• Barstool.com

Erika Nardini, CEO of Barstool Sports, thinks the insinuation she was hired, at least in part, to counteract charges of sexism leveled at the media company is “funny”. Ms. Nardini has a podcast called “Token CEO” presumably to mock the idea. Her interviewer agrees the idea is “Ridiculous”. Do they make a case for their casual dismissal?

In January 2018, Erika Nardini is interviewed by Alyson Shontell, of “Business Insider”. Interview transcript

She discusses, among other things, how she became “CEO” of Barstool Sports. I read the interview about a year ago and found, if anything, it made me more inclined to believe she was hired, in large part, for image. When the Token CEO podcast debuted, I wondered if the whole thing was always supposed to be a joke, a cynical jab at the critics. I started to write this blog just in case it wasn’t.  It’s taken awhile.

Below is an exchange from the transcript shortly following Shontell describing the concept as “ridiculous” 

Nardini: Yeah, Dave brought in a token woman as a CEO, which is funny.

Shontell: Except that he interviewed 74 guys and one woman for the job as CEO, and you got it.

Nardini: Yes.

Shontell: So it doesn’t sound like he was particularly hunting for a woman at all.

They point to Barstool Sports founder and President, Dave Portnoy only interviewing 1 woman and 74 men for the position, as compelling evidence that Barstool Sports was not specifically looking for a woman when they began their search for a CEO. This certainly makes sense but wouldn’t interviewing only men be confirmation that Barstool Sport has a sexist culture? Ms Nardini doesn’t explain why there were no other women candidates. Did Dave Portnoy believe a woman wouldn’t approve of the culture the way Erika Nardini, perhaps surprisingly, did? Did any other woman apply or express interest in the job? What would be the most obvious reason for a company with a sexist image, looking to broaden its appeal, to hire a woman CEO?

Assuming Portnoy had not started out with the goal of hiring a woman, that certainly would not preclude him getting the idea. What was Portnoy’s problem with the male candidates? If you listen to Dave on his recently started podcast, it’s clear he still sees himself as the boss (and center of the universe?). Perhaps in Erika Nardini he saw, not just a way to counter the criticism but also someone who had useful advertising and management experience and who would not encroach on his alpha dog status. Maybe he viewed the male candidates as threatening, as they were supposed to be his boss.  El Prez, as Portnoy likes to be called, apparently is still the real Chief. If Portnoy is still the head honcho, that suggests Ms Nardini’s CEO title is symbolic, which supports the concept that she was hired as a token.

Ms Nardini recounts having coffee with  Dave Portnoy, a number of times that Spring and early Summer, and feeling that they “clicked”. She doesn’t say anything about what they actually discussed or how it led to her becoming a candidate. The interview doesn’t mention whether the other candidates also started with coffee dates with Mr Portnoy.

Shontell asks Ms Nardini how she “beat out 74 other candidates? What did you do?” Nardini explains: “they were probably very few left by the time I got around. I think one of the things is Barstool’s not for everyone” apparently suggesting that Barstool Sport’s controversial reputation and content may not have been a good fit for what she earlier describes as “white guy with an MBA and the right pedigree”, the type of candidate she had expected them to hire. She then recounts her meeting with Barstool Sport’s Editor, Keith Markovich. According to Nardini, at the end of the interview, he said, “You’re the only one that didn’t ask me about the girls”

https://www.businessinsider.com/erika-nardini-ceo-barstool-sports-interview-2018-1

This is the only example the interview provides in which someone from Barstool Sports comments on why specifically they thought she was right for the job.

In the interview, Ms Nardini says she “always had a guy-ish sense of humor” (It’s not sexism when you hire a woman because she has a guy’s sense of humor?) She references growing up with guys and guy friends in college, and she felt Barstool Sports’ tone was “just how guys talk”. In a recent podcast Dave Portnoy says about the hiring: “she’s our girl”. Intentional or not in hiring Nardini they get a woman CEO to rebut the sexist reputation and also someone who appreciates their sexist humor and arguably misogynistic history.

Aside from the comments from the company’s editor (*image above) about Ms Nardini not questioning the pictures of women and not mentioning other Barstool Sports “controversies and skeletons”, her  “guy-ish” humor and “clicking” with Portnoy over coffee, the interview doesn’t seem to give more reasons why Nardini was selected over her competition.

She does seem to insinuate that 74 male candidates found Barstool Sports content offensive or thought the content that made them grow into needing a CEO might need to go.

Is that more plausible than Portnoy lucked into a woman with passable credentials and some useful experience who was willing to take the title and be a very public defender of Barstool Sports? No women with more suitable experience were interested in the job?

 Ms Nardini does mention a meeting with the Chernin Group, a major investor in Barstool Sports, to discuss her previous venture, a startup called Bkstg. According to Ms Nardini Barstool Sports was mentioned at the meeting, and she gave her thoughts on the company. This was before a mutual acquaintance set up a lunch date with Dave Portnoy.

Ms Nardini’s credentials could use a closer look. The article refers to her having been CMO of AOL, and she refers to being “the” CMO, but she was actually a CMO for Advertising. AOL, far from the industry leader it was in its heyday (it later sold to Verizon for a fraction of its once lofty value), had lost four top marketing executives that year. Perhaps giving multiple executives a CMO title was a perk intended to keep  marketing people who remained from also moving to more successful companies. When Erika Nardini exited, AOL did not feel the need to replace her (The title had been created for her) and simply added her duties to another CMO’s.  Erika Nardini lasted only a year as President at Bkstg and it doesn’t seem her tenure saw the kind of success that would recommend her for a CEO position. “Bkstg had a 1.1/5 rating on  Glassdoor” from its employees President also exits. Comparing Ms Nardini’s presidency at Bkstg to Portnoy’s at Barstool’s sports would seem to suggest Portnoy as easily the more qualified leader.

I can only speculate based on what Erika Nardini said in the interview and media reports about Barstool Sports, so I am not trying to imply anything regarding Erika Nardini’s competence and skill set. At the time of her hiring Barstool Sports wasn’t exactly full of experienced executives and could benefit from any management experience. Management still does not appear to be a strength, McAfee leaving Barstool sports after being disrepected. and Content theft controversy

Barstool Sports has a reputation for sexism that borders on or perhaps extends to misogyny. Outside their fan base (known as Stoolies) Barstool Sports was, for a significant part of its history, known primarily for offensive jokes and sexist comments about women (see links below) Portnoy, the founder, exclaims in one “joke” that a woman who wears skinny jeans “deserves” to be raped and in another that having sex with an unconscious woman was a gray area (isn’t necessarily rape). Yet a couple month after the interview Erika Nardini is making the rounds defending Barstool Sports against charges of sexism and calling it The least sexist place she’s worked  I don’t know how many people familiar with Barstool Sports she was able to convince but the defense is probably more effective coming from a woman CEO than if Barstool Sports had hired a man. For someone who denies being hired as a Token CEO to defend against the company’s sexist reputation she does seem a good fit for the role.