According to sfist.com, Puppy-Kickin' Des Hague is on the way through the door marked "Out."
He was peeved because the leash hurt his hand, boo-hoo, according to the company. I sure hope any severance is based on carrying out the therapy, community service and starting an animal abuse foundation the company said he was to do.
Following the release of the video last week that showed Desmond Hague, CEO of Centerplate, kicking a Doberman pinscher and hoisting it by its leash, the company is expected to announce Hague's resignation and replacement today, as the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. The huge catering company services both AT&T Park and Levi's Stadium as well as 300 other venues around the country, and the roar for Hague's removal on social media proved too huge for the company to overcome, despite an initial slap on the wrist.
The board of directors of the Connecticut-based Centerplate is expected to release a statement Tuesday announcing the appointment of chief operating officer Chris Verros as CEO, effective immediately.
The Union-Tribune got a copy of the draft release, which says:
"Following an extended review of the incident involving Mr. Hague, I’d like to apologize for the distress that this situation has caused to so many; but also thank our employees, clients and guests who expressed their feelings about this incident. Their voices helped us to frame our deliberations during this very unusual and unfortunate set of circumstances."
We'll see where Puppy-Kickin' Des Hague winds up. After, perhaps, he starts his foundation and serves 1,000 hours of community service and some time in the slammer in Canada.
Full post with assorted links:
http://sfist.com/...
It's Official. Question remains -- did he get the Golden Puppy Kick? Or is the buyout conditioned on all the stuff the company floated earlier as P-K Des tried to keep his job?
The company couldn't post its "apology" on its PR page last week, but today:
CENTERPLATE ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP CHANGE
September 2, 2014 by Centerplate Info In Centerplate News No Comments
Chris Verros Named Acting President and CEO Following Resignation of Desmond Hague
Centerplate’s board of directors announced today that Chris Verros has been appointed to the role of acting president and chief executive officer, effective immediately, following the resignation of Desmond Hague from the company. The decision comes as a result of Hague’s personal misconduct involving the mistreatment of an animal in his care.
“We want to reiterate that we do not condone nor would we ever overlook the abuse of animals,” said Joe O’Donnell, chairman of the board of directors for Centerplate.
“Following an extended review of the incident involving Mr. Hague, I’d like to apologize for the distress that this situation has caused to so many; but also thank our employees, clients and guests who expressed their feelings about this incident. Their voices helped us to frame our deliberations during this very unusual and unfortunate set of circumstances.”
Chris Verros assumes the new role with more than 35 years of experience and a reputation as one of the industry’s most respected leaders. Chief Operating Officer for Centerplate since 2010, he helped the company to achieve unprecedented growth. Prior to joining Centerplate, Verros was Executive Vice President of Boston Culinary Group and previously served as a Group President of Fine Host Corporation, following the 1993 acquisition of FanFare, Inc., a company he co-founded in 1986.
“I have been proud to work with Chris for more than 20 years, and feel that Centerplate is incredibly fortunate to have such a strong leader who can step into the role immediately,” O’Donnell added, “This past week has been very difficult for our company, our employees and our clients in particular, and I have no doubt that Chris’ experience, vision, integrity, and commitment to our values and mission will help us all move forward together.”