Yesterday Dell issued a formal apology for a series of comments made during an event that took place in Copenhagen back in April. They hired Mads Christensen, a personality famous for poking fun at stereotypes, to moderate the Dell-sponsored partner summit and apparently he made some rather off-color remarks about women. While the remarks may have been suitable for a comedy club, many professionals did not find it appropriate for the event.
Here’s a segment from their apology on Google+:
“Empowering women and their businesses is something close to our hearts at Dell and is the motivation behind our Women Powering Business initiative and DWEN – a network and annual conference that helps bring female founders, CEOs and innovative leaders together, share best practices and open up new business opportunities around the world.”
“Once again, we apologize for this unfortunate event. Going forward, we will be more careful selecting speakers at Dell events.”
According to CNET News, Christensen intended the comments to be entertaining and satirical, as he told a Danish blog. Unfortunately for Dell and Christensen, both the event and the delayed apology did not sit well with many who were involved.
As for what exactly was said at the summit, I’m not exactly sure, but CNET’s Molly Wood does a good job summarizing in this video commentary about the event.
Take a look:
