Originally Syndicated on October 19, 2023 @ 6:31 am
Hong Perez, a former sales maestro at Spotify, has filed a lawsuit against the streaming music empire and its US sales chieftain, Brian Berner. The lawsuit, thrust into the New York Supreme Court on September 18th, alleges gender prejudice, equal pay infractions, and character defamation in relation to Perez’s expulsion.
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What was in the lawsuit?
In the lawsuit, it is claimed that Spotify’s US head of sales, Brian Berner, arranged the presence of sales managers at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016 and 2017 to foster client networking. Berner handpicked the participants for these occasions. Nevertheless, it is alleged that in both instances, Berner exclusively opted for male assemblies to partake, disregarding the existence of numerous highly qualified women occupying senior sales positions. These incidents are accentuated as manifestations of gender prejudice prevailing within the organization.
Accusations of Gender Discrimination
Perez’s complaint denounces Spotify for nurturing a toxic work ecosystem for women within the corporation. Despite basking in glowing accolades and performance appraisals during her triumvirate of years at Spotify, Perez experienced a growing disquietude about the treatment of her female counterparts in the professional arena.
“Berner’s ‘Boys Trips'”
The lawsuit spotlights two work escapades, arranged by Brian Berner, which purportedly exemplify his tendency to favour the male contingent. These escapades, colloquially dubbed “Berner’s ‘boys trips'” by colleagues, allegedly encompassed substance acquisition and a physical altercation, transgressions that flouted Spotify’s Code of Conduct. Despite being aware of these occurrences, Berner failed to take any measures to investigate or discipline the implicated individuals.
Gender-Based Compensation Disparities
As per the claims in the lawsuit, Spotify’s Global Head of Sales doled out inflated compensation and equity to male employees, while depriving their female counterparts of the same privileges. This discriminatory practice hints at a systematic bias in the company, favouring men while shortchanging women.
Promotion Despite Misconduct
The lawsuit further contends that a male employee, despite being the subject of a sexual harassment complaint and having received numerous admonitions from the company, was inexplicably promoted. This alleged elevation of an employee with a track record of transgressions raises serious doubts about Spotify’s handling of workplace harassment issues.
Inappropriate Conduct During Business Trips
According to the lawsuit, male Spotify managers, including the aforementioned executive, engaged in objectionable behaviour during business trips. Specifically, they indulged in visits to strip clubs during a purportedly work-related expedition to Atlantic City. This behaviour is presented as an exemplification of a hostile work environment and raises significant queries regarding the company’s adherence to proper workplace decorum.
Allegations of HR Misconduct
The lawsuit also alludes to an incident wherein Spotify’s HR overseer purportedly admitted to being lenient toward a male employee embroiled in harassing behaviour. The same HR overseer made an untoward remark during a company-wide assembly, exposing a culture of misconduct within the HR department.
Unjust Termination
Perez vehemently asserts that she was unjustly ousted earlier this year due to a business transaction spearheaded by Brian Berner. Despite Berner incurring scrutiny from top-level executives for issues associated with a concert ticket deal at Madison Square Garden, Perez alleges that Berner deflected blame onto her and subsequently terminated her employment. Berner purportedly disseminated an email to hundreds of employees, accusing Perez of flouting the company’s code of conduct and internal compliance guidelines.
Spotify’s Response
In response to the lawsuit, Spotify vehemently avowed that it abhors all forms of discrimination and dismissed Perez’s claims as baseless.
About Brian Berner
Brian Berner, an advertising media and technology executive with almost two decades of experience, has been holding the position of Head of North American Advertising Sales at Spotify for the past ten years. In this capacity, he oversees the personnel responsible for Advertising Partnerships in the United States and plays an integral role in shaping Spotify’s marketing strategy. Additionally, he actively participates in the development of ad products and sales strategies to cater to the needs of Advertising Partners.
Brian Berner‘s fascination with advertising was kindled during his college years at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he immersed himself in the study of Management Information Systems with a concentration in Library Information Systems. However, his initial career trajectory took a drive into investment banking until a turning point arrived when he delved into selling advertisements for the esteemed school newspaper, The Daily Illini.
After graduating in 2003, Brian Berner embarked on a journey with an email marketing firm that eventually metamorphosed into MySpace, a highly influential social media platform of its time. Berner became the pioneering salesperson who spearheaded revenue efforts for the company, progressing from an individual contributor to the role of Sales Manager and then Sales Director for the Midwest region. In 2010, he embarked on a new adventure in a marketing solutions company, where he served as the Vice President of Midwest Sales for slightly over a year.
In 2011, Berner joined Spotify as the Regional Vice President for the Midwest, making significant contributions to the company’s expansion in the Midwest and throughout the United States. Through his exceptional leadership, he eventually assumed responsibility for all of Spotify’s U.S. advertising sales.
Brian Berner found Spotify’s fusion of social sharing and music streaming to be truly captivating, recognizing it as a pioneering platform. He firmly believed in Spotify’s seamless integration of technology, social connections, content discovery, and unparalleled user interface. Under his astute guidance, Spotify underwent a monumental transformation, transitioning its salesforce from private to public.
This endeavour entailed the implementation of new business rules, accounting practices, and customer communications. Notably, he spearheaded the growth of Spotify’s NA Sales team from 40 employees to over 170, actively nurturing talent and fostering career advancement opportunities in the field of advertising.
Furthermore, Brian Berner actively encourages his team to engage with various philanthropic organizations across the United States. Leveraging Spotify’s support for fundraising endeavours, he extends volunteer opportunities to team members, thereby fostering a culture of giving back.
Looking towards the future, Berner exudes enthusiasm about Spotify’s foray into the podcasting realm and its ongoing international expansion. This ambitious expansion aims to tap into untapped markets and broaden the customer base.
Despite achieving significant success throughout his career, Brian Berner remains driven to pursue future milestones, both professionally and personally. He possesses a profound interest in philanthropy and education, with a long-term aspiration of contributing to Chicago’s vibrant startup culture and enriching the city’s education system—an environment that played a crucial role in his own formative years.
For more information you can check Brian Berner’s LinkedIn account –
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianberner/
The Bottom Line
Therefore, the lawsuit raises significant concerns about workplace culture and practices within the company. The legal proceedings will determine the validity of these claims and whether Spotify is held accountable for the alleged misconduct.
