eBay Welcomes New Chief Communications Officer Gigi Ganatra Duff
eBay has named a new Chief Communications Officer, welcoming Gigi Ganatra Duff to the company on September 23, 2024, reporting directly to Chief Growth Officer Julie Loeger and overseeing all aspects of eBay's global communications team including all internal and external communications, social media, public affairs, ESG communications, eBay Foundation, and content.
eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY), a global commerce leader that connects millions of buyers and sellers around the world, today announced the appointment of Gigi Ganatra Duff as Chief Communications Officer reporting to Chief Growth Officer Julie Loeger. Effective September 23, 2024, Gigi will lead the global communications team including all internal and external communications, social media, public affairs, ESG communications, eBay Foundation, and content.
A highly talented and experienced communicator, Gigi spent the last seven years at Nordstrom as the Vice President of Corporate Affairs. Over the past two decades, she has led corporate and employee communications, social impact, public affairs, and brand PR & event marketing teams across the hospitality, real estate, and retail sectors. She brings a particular passion for building strong brands and a deep commitment to advancing global impact through meaningful ESG strategies.
“Gigi’s demonstrated ability to drive transformative change, build high-performing teams and lead through complex initiatives is exactly what eBay needs as we continue to reinvent the future of ecommerce,” said Julie Loeger, Chief Growth Officer and Chair of the eBay Foundation Board of Directors. “Her customer focus and empathetic leadership style have consistently delivered results while her deep passion for driving social impact and integrating ESG work into brands aligns perfectly with eBay’s DNA. I am confident her leadership and vision will bring fresh energy and innovation to eBay.”
“I am incredibly excited to join eBay during such a pivotal moment of transformation,” said Gigi Ganatra Duff. “eBay’s mission to create economic opportunity for all is something that resonates with me deeply. As a passionate storyteller, I look forward to amplifying the impactful stories of eBay’s community and products, while fostering strong partnerships and experiences that help shape the brand’s vision. Together with this talented team, I’m eager to contribute to this next chapter of innovation and growth.”
Ganatra Duff replaces ex-VP Global Communications, Michelle Friedman, who departed the company to take on the same role at Samsara in May.
Liz Morton
Friedman took over corporate comms at a particularly tricky time for eBay - just a few short months after news of the 2019 eBay Cyberstalking Scandal hit the headlines with ex-Chief Communications Officer Steve Wymer playing a prominent role.
Liz Morton
The bizarre corporate plot targeted Ina and David Steiner, the editor and publisher of ecommerce news site EcommerceBytes, seeking to change the tone and content of their reporting and to unmask the identity of unsuckEBAY, a frequent commenter and source who also sparked the ire of top executives at the company.
Documents from the criminal and civil cases have revealed sordid details of the harassment that included disturbing deliveries of live insects, bloody pig masks and funeral wreaths as well as threatening messages, doxxing, which ultimately escalated to in-person stalking and an attempted break-in at the hands of eBay security personnel.
Seven eBay security employees were charged criminally and pleaded guilty to multiple federal felonies, but the civil lawsuit also extended to include eBay as well as CEO Devin Wenig, Wymer, and SVP Global Operations Wendy Jones, saying communications from the very top egged on the harassment - especially those from Wymer.
For example, in an email with then Chief Legal Officer Marie Oh Huber copied, Wymer vented his frustration about EcommerceBytes and unsuckEBAY, saying he was utterly vexed and anything that could by done to solve the "problem" should be explored, Whatever. It. Takes.
Wymer's communications with Senior Director Security Jim Baugh were even worse, telling Baugh that Ina Steiner was a biased troll who needed to be burned down and that he would embrace managing any bad fall out.
But Wymer was not alone in his disdain for the victims - the other executives including Wenig were equally "vexed."
Other messages between Wenig (Executive 1) and Wymer (Executive 2), showed increasingly amped up reactions to EcommerceBytes' coverage, including a message to "take her down."
On April 20, 2019, discussing the Wall Street Journal's coverage of Executive 1, Executive 1 texted to Executive 2, "Fuck them. The journal is next on the list after [Victim 1]."
On May 31, 2019, commenting on the Newsletter's coverage of eBay that day, Executive 2 texted to Executive 1, "Shockingly reasonable..." Executive 1 replied, "I couldn't care less what she says." Seconds later, Executive 1 added, "Take her down."
Source: Steiner et al v. eBay Inc. et al 1:21-cv-11181 Doc 1 Exhibit A
Wenig was graciously allowed to resigned in September 2019 and take a $57 million golden parachute on his way out, blaming conflict with the board and activist investors as news of the scandal had not yet been made public.
He still sits on the boards of several companies including Salesforce and GM, as well as running a charitable organization with his wife Cindy, ironically supporting justice system reforms and independent journalism.
Wymer was fired by eBay for cause in September 2019 but landed a new gig a year later as CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of the Silicon Valley, thanks to his close ties with then San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo - announced on Twitter with his signature "whatever it takes" hashtag.
Current CEO Jamie Iannone was brought on board in April 2020 and the scandal became publicly known when the first criminal charges were brought in June, with Friedman coming in to pick up the pieces and get busy on the crisis management front when she joined in September.
Friedman's departure was even more interestingly timed as Oh Huber left the company in June, with Samantha Wellington just recently announced as her permanent replacement in the Chief Legal Officer role.
Liz Morton
The executive clean out is likely related to increased regulatory scrutiny and enhanced compliance monitoring as part of the $3 Million dollar deal eBay struck with the Department of Justice to defer criminal prosecution of the company in the cyberstalking scandal.
Liz Morton
Ganatra Duff is going to have her hands full managing corporate comms related to labor troubles and due diligence concerns at subsidiary TCGPlayer, ongoing litigation brought by the EPA due to sales of certain pesticides, chemicals, and emissions-control cheat devices, and the Responsible Online Commerce Coalition's efforts to urge an FTC investigation into eBay's anticompetitive business practices.
Liz Morton
That cyberstalking case isn't going anywhere anytime soon either, with discovery and depositions continuing on the road to a potential 2025 trial date.
Liz Morton
eBay has also faced scrutiny of their communications and media strategies, hiring for roles to "protect eBay's reputation" by "leveraging media relationships to elevate eBay’s brand and reputation...fostering relationships with key media... [and] placing executive profiles, bylines & speaking ops that further the company narrative."
And most recently, an exclusive deal eBay inked with New York Times-owned The Athletic raised troubling media ethics and integrity concerns.
Liz Morton
Will Ganatra Duff continue eBay's strategy of courting and leveraging friendly media to "further company narratives"?
Details were not immediately available regarding Ganatra Duff 's compensation package, including salary, signing bonus (if any) and stock options, but more information will likely be revealed in future SEC filings or other corporate communications.
Stay tuned for updates in this developing story.
