Aritzia defends corporate culture, ‘exacting’ CEO after Insider exposé

The Vancouver-based Aritzia fashion empire is defending its founder and corporate culture after an exposé in Insider magazine painted a dark picture of discrimination against people of colour and a “high-pressure and exploitative” environment for its mostly young and female salespeople.

Aritzia counters that “the company’s success has been a direct result of its high-performance culture” as encouraged by its longtime leader, Brian Hill.

“Brian is an exacting CEO, just like that of any other highly profitable global company, but he is also notably devoted to fostering the careers and growth of his employees,” said an Aritzia spokesperson in a statement provided to Postmedia.

Hill “is committed to mentorship throughout the company at every level, and he is deeply appreciative of the contributions that every single one of the more than 60,000 team members who have walked through Aritzia’s doors over the past nearly 40 years have made.

“The allegations in this story are not representative of the company culture that Brian and his leadership team at Aritzia have fostered and built.”