International Women's Day Quip Costs CEO His Job

International Women's Day was on March 8, and the way the CEO of Fairmont Hot Springs Resort in British Columbia attempted to mark it ended up costing him his job. The CBC reports that on March 9, Vivek Sharma welcomed people to the BC Tourism and Hospitality Conference in Richmond by asking women in the audience to stand and be recognized, which they did to applause. Then he instructed them to "go clean some rooms and do some dishes." Outrage followed, and the CBC reports audience member Trina Notman took to Twitter to post about Sharma's comment; she subsequently asked, "Is the BC Hospitality Conference really not doing anything about the misogynistic comments this morning?"

The New Zealand Herald reports Sharma later returned to the stage and offered an apology, and conference organizers took to Twitter that night to condemn and apologize for the "insensitive and hurtful comment." The Fairmont Hot Springs Resort put Sharma on leave and engaged a third-party consulting firm to review the matter; the resort's board of directors on Tuesday confirmed Sharma has been removed as CEO. Notman tells the CBC many women reached out to her, including women who worked under Sharma when he was GM of the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel and Conference Centre; some said it wasn't the first inappropriate comment he has made. (More fired stories.)