Women in tech still face a torrid time from LinkedIn lechers

The lack of consequences for WiseTech Global's Richard White suggests not much has changed in the tech industry when it comes to the treatment of women.

Their response to a series of revelations and allegations about CEO and founder Richard White’s bullying and sexual harassment is that White will resign as CEO and director, “take a short period of leave” and then return as “founder and founding CEO” with a full-time consulting role reporting directly to the chair and board, for his current salary of $1 million per year.

So, literally nothing will change about White’s role in the company except his title and the fact that some poor fool will be employed as fig-leaf CEO and get to take the corporate heat instead of the LinkedIn Lecher. It’s all about as subtle as White handing a bunch of flowers to one of his LinkedIn targets with a sex toy perched in the middle.

Then again, is it any surprise that a tech firm is happy to keep on board a man who used his access to possible venture capital and his status as a tech industry guru as the hook to look for sexual partners among female entrepreneurs? Men, especially powerful men, using discussions about venture capital or professional and tech industry matters as a pretext for invitations for sex seems to be a typical female experience.

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