Pros
Stuart used to be a great place to work, full of talented, hardworking, and genuinely collaborative people. The energy, innovation, and sense of purpose made it an exciting environment in its earlier days. I was also fortunate to have an great manager who truly believed in me and consistently pushed for my growth and success. He did everything he could to support me and advocate for my development despite the difficult environment and shifting priorities at the top.
Cons
Since the arrival of the new CEO, the company has lost much of its direction and identity. Strategy changes constantly without clear reasoning or communication, creating confusion and frustration across teams. Rather than driving real growth, the focus seems to be on cost-cutting and optics, reducing headcount to appear more stable to investors, rather than improving performance. Unfortunately, most of the talent that once defined the company has already left. Those who remain are either waiting for redundancy or quietly searching for new opportunities. There’s a noticeable lack of transparency around how these departures are managed; the company often tries to present them as natural turnover, but it’s clear there’s a broader effort to push people out. The culture has become increasingly toxic. Employees are treated poorly, and leadership doesn’t lead by example - for instance, enforcing strict return-to-office rules that senior management doesn’t follow themselves. In my own experience, I was promised a promotion that was later blocked by the CEO without clear reasoning. Yet as people left, I ended up taking on the responsibilities of a more senior role without the corresponding title or pay. Meanwhile, the executive team remains highly compensated and continues to receive large bonuses, which only adds to the sense of unfairness and disconnection between leadership and the wider organisation.