Wyndham chief executive Stephen Wall has apologised publicly for a “clumsy” comment he made about Palestine to his staff last week.
On Monday 27 October, Mr Wall took to LinkedIn addressing the comment.
“Recently, I made an offhand remark during an all-staff meeting that, in hindsight, missed the mark,” Mr Wall said.
“It was intended as humour, but it landed poorly. It sparked conversations – and some introspection – about how leaders communicate, especially on sensitive issues.”
Speaking on behalf of Mr Wall, a Wyndham spokesperson said he had internally rectified the issue.
“Following the meeting last week Mr Wall apologised to individual staff who raised the matter with him,” the spokesperson said.
In email to staff on 27 October, Mr Wall said, “Thank you to those who have made me aware that I used inappropriate references at last week’s staff meeting.
“It’s tricky sometimes to think and talk in real time to several hundred of you, but that’s no excuse. I really do regret the clumsy use of references to Gaza and recognise that this has caused distress to a number of staff.
“I hope you will accept my apology. I feel dreadful about this and certainly commit to doing better in future.”
The spokesperson said Mr Wall took recreational leave over September and October.
