better.com
Bulletins

Vishal Garg is leading Better.com ... again

Garg took a break last month after laying off hundreds on a Zoom call.

Vishal Garg in a green vest.

Vishal Garg is back at Better.com.

Photo: Better.com

Vishal Garg, the Better.com CEO who took a break after firing hundreds of workers during a virtual town hall, was reinstated, according to a company email that was obtained by The New York Times.

“We are confident in Vishal and in the changes he is committed to making to provide the type of leadership, focus and vision that Better needs at this pivotal time," Better.com's board wrote in an email to staff Tuesday.

Garg took time off from the company last month after facing backlash for his handling of the layoffs, which affected about 9% of the company's staff. The founder apologized after some executives quit and the company pushed its planned IPO. Garg's behavior has reportedly been an issue in the past. According to Vice, he once called the company's top investor "sewage" for disagreeing on IPO plans.

Better.com also said last month that it would hire an outside party to review its leadership and culture. The Times reported that the company has since conducted an assessment led by Anthony Barkow, a partner at the law firm Jenner & Block and a former federal prosecutor.

Following the review, Better.com said it's looking for a new board chairman, president and chief human resources officer. The company will also build a training program for fostering a "respectful workplace" and create an ethics and compliance committee that reports to the board, the company's email said.

Sarah Roach

Sarah (Sarahroach_) writes for Source Code at Protocol. She's based in Boston and can be reached at sroach@protocol.com

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