5. When execs go rogue
If there’s a sure-fire way of detecting the imminent flameout of an executive, particularly one whose brilliance stems from a willingness to flout convention, please pass it along to Yum! Brands.
The parent of Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut found itself with a publicity challenge this week after the architect of Taco Bell’s much-lauded mobile initiative was caught on cam giving a beat-down to an Uber driver.
If there’s a Knucklehead Hall of Fame, Benjamin Golden is a shoo-in. He was drunk, obnoxious and threatening, but at least he didn’t connect himself to Taco Bell. Ironically, Yum assured that would happen when it fired Golden, who now faces criminal charges as well as a civil lawsuit.