Microsoft CEO condemns Charlottesville attacks as 'horrific' in email to employees
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}File photo - Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, speaks during the opening night of the WSJD Live conference in Laguna Beach, California Oct. 24, 2016. (REUTERS/Mike Blake)
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella condemned the attacks in Charlottesville, VA., calling them "horrific" in an email to employees.
In the email, obtained by Quartz, Nadella expanded on his dismay for the attacks, which ended in tragic violence, saying, "There is no place in our society for the bias, bigotry and senseless violence we witnessed this weekend in Virginia provoked by white nationalists."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Here is the email in its entirety:
This past week and in particular this weekend’s events in Charlottesville have been horrific. What I’ve seen and read has had a profound impact on me and I am sure for many of you as well. In these times, to me only two things really matter as a leader.
The first is that we stand for our timeless values, which include diversity and inclusion. There is no place in our society for the bias, bigotry and senseless violence we witnessed this weekend in Virginia provoked by white nationalists. Our hearts go out to the families and everyone impacted by the Charlottesville tragedy.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The second is that we empathize with the hurt happening around us. At Microsoft, we strive to seek out differences, celebrate them and invite them in. As a leader, a key part of your role is creating a culture where every person can do their best work, which requires more than tolerance for diverse perspectives. Our growth mindset culture requires us to truly understand and share the feelings of another person. It is an especially important time to continue to be connected with people, and listen and learn from each other’s experiences.
As I’ve said, across Microsoft, we will stand together with those who are standing for positive change in the communities where we live, work and serve. Together, we must embrace our shared humanity, and aspire to create a society that is filled with respect, empathy and opportunity for all.
Feel free to share with your teams.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Satya
Nadella's comments come on the heels of other tech executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Intel CEO Brian Krzanich expressing their frustration over the violence.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Late Monday evening, Krzanich left President Donald Trump's American Manaufacturing Council, becoming the latest CEO to do so after Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier and Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank.
On Tuesday, Scott Paul, the president of the Alliance for American Manufacturing, added his name to the growing list of executives leaving the council.
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk had left the council earlier this year after Trump said he would pull out of the Paris climate agreement.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @chris_ciaccia