Howdy all, enjoy the podcasts and the forums.
BLUF: My director was fired for stealing almost $1m. Should I start look for a new job?
I'm a mid-level manager at a small (~100 employees) private company. My director, Walter, displayed eccentric behaviors but was the golden child since he always met or exceeded goals. He'd had been with the company for a 5 years before I joined and I'm now going into my 4th year.
Four months ago, Walter resigned unexpectedly. He left on good terms until it was discovered that he'd stolen over $100K from the company EACH year for the past 8 years. I wasn't involved with the theft but this puts a dark cloud over our entire division. Walter had more than 20 direct reports and I worked closely with him. Prior to this, I'd considered him a mentor.
I love the company and had planned on growing my career there. Now I wonder if that's even possible.
Has anyone ever experienced anything like this? Any recommendations?
Appreciated!
-E
re: My director was fired for stealing almost $1m.
Yes, I've been there. More than once, each were slightly different circumstances. My direct supervisor at my first job out of college; my client's boss when I was a consultant; and one other occasion that I've apparently blocked out of memory.
These things happen. As it turns out, more people than you think aren't very honest. But that doesn't excuse any of them.
If you were involved or were aware something was amiss but didn't say anything, well then you should expect to be looking for a new job very soon.
If you truly had no involvement or knowledge of the situation, then you should be fine. However, when things like this happen organizations go through a period of upheaval, and for staff the sense of betrayal can be tough to deal with. At the very least you want to have your resume up to date. If you've been following the MT resume podcasts ( http://manager-tools.com/2011/12/resume-accomplishments-examples ) then you've been keeping your resume up to date all along. If you haven't updated your resume lately, this is a good time to take stock in what your accomplishments are.
Agree
I agree with the above. As long as you are not an accessory either before or after the fact, you should not consider leaving, especially since you like the company. I also agree that your resume should be up to date for a variety of reasons stated by M&M.
After close to 30 years in the nonprofit sector, my co-workers and I have been victimized by theft more than I care to remember. Anger and a sense of betrayal are normal.
Hang in there.