The Chief Transformation Officer at Milwaukee’s Tellway-Platt was dismissed this week for not knowing that rapper Bow-Wow had dropped the prefix “Lil.’”
Monica Pasterell, 51, was a 29-year veteran of the company. She referred to the star by his outdated name on October 8, when delivering a talk on transformational entities at Michigan State University. This resulted in some loud snickering, a few boos, and at least 20 students walking out.
In an email to Tellway’s board that was leaked to Cubicle F, CEO Willis Potts wrote: “If someone isn’t aware of such basic information, one has to wonder what else that person isn’t aware of. Bottom lines? Customer expectations?” Potts stated that the gaffe was particularly egregious since Bow Wow had dropped the “Lil’” over 16 years ago.
“In today’s competitive business environment,” wrote Potts, “knowledge is knowledge, and vice versa.”
According to a source, Pasterell had been warned about similar errors in the past – including a 2017 letter of reprimand for misuse of the phrase, “I know… right?” and an incident just months ago where during a didactics symposium she appeared to be unaware of the TV show, This is Us.
