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2 months ago
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Respected arts and culture executive Michael Lynch has been appointed as Acting Sector Head for Media at Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning Neom mega-city and audiovisual and tourism hub, in the wake of accusations of racism and inappropriate workplace behavior against other top execs on the project.
“Michael Lynch has assumed the role of Acting Sector Head for Media, in addition to his existing responsibilities as the Sector Head of Entertainment and Culture,” read a statement from a spokesperson for Neom.
Saudi Arabia’s ambitious Neom project was rocked last week by an in-depth report published in the Wall Street Journal, levelling accusations of racism, misogyny, and inappropriate workplace behavior against several senior executives in charge of the mega-city’s construction and development.
The WSJ article reported on allegations against multiple execs but gave significant space to allegations tabled against Wayne Borg, Managing Director of Neom Media Industries. The WSJ reported that it had heard multiple audio recordings that featured Borg — a former Fox and Universal exec — making discriminatory and racist comments.
Wednesday’s statement not state whether the execs implicated in the accusations had been dismissed.
“At Neom, we take allegations of this nature very seriously. We are committed to upholding our Code of Conduct, which sets clear standards for the actions and behaviors of every employee. We do not tolerate breaches of our Code of Conduct and have adopted a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination and harassment in all forms,” it read.
“We are dedicated to continuing to build a strong and positive culture and an inclusive, respectful, and ethical workplace for all. The very serious allegations that have appeared in the press regarding Neom Senior Executives do not reflect the behavior of our 5,000 employees. The safety and welfare of our workforce are our top priorities, and our Worker Welfare team has strong policies to ensure everyone is treated with dignity, care, and respect, it continued.
“Neom has a strong governance framework, supported by a strict Code of Conduct and multiple channels, including our anonymous SpeakUp portal, where employees can raise concerns. Every concern is handled with the utmost scrutiny and integrity, and we take appropriate actions to address any misconduct.”
