After the shooting and murder of Brian Thompson, CEO of United Healthcare, the insurance arm of UnitedHealth Group, we are living through a metaphorical 2x4 whack that’s already affecting multiple industries and sectors. Companies are currently in crisis-mode and have issued public statements and offered condolences, updated their security measures and have even removed executive leadership bios from websites. 

Healthcare stakeholders have come together on social media and shared stories, feelings about the company, its leaders and corporate greed, and are ultimately demanding more from organizations. All of this led me to wonder, if the fate of Brian Thompson had occurred to Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia’s Founder, would the public sentiment be the same? I believe the answer would be a resounding ‘no.’