Former employees at the Columbus Partnership said CEO Jason Hall’s departure came after he cultivated a culture of “intimidation” and “bullying” among the staff at the region’s most powerful business group.
The former employees, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, countered the organization’s official statement that Hall simply left to be closer to family in St. Louis.
The Columbus Partnership announced June 22 that Hall, its CEO of 18 months, would be resigning at the end of the month “because of a personal need to relocate closer to his parents” near St. Louis. But insiders told The Dispatch that Hall was pressured to leave by the Partnership’s governing leadership after creating what they called an “untenable” environment that drew hostile work complaints and, by one former employee’s estimate, drove about 10 staffers to leave and even more to consider doing so.
“It’s nice that they are letting him resign,” a former employee said. “I think [the board] understood the challenges with leadership and chose to position it that way.”
Hall’s departure extends a period of turnover for the economic development nonprofit that will now require it to find its third leader in less than two years. Longtime JPMorgan Chase managing director Corrine Burger will step in as interim CEO until a permanent successor is found.
“For any of us who worked at the organization, nobody is surprised at what happened,” another former employee said.
Sources asked to remain anonymous to avoid potential professional repercussions. Hall did not respond to The Dispatch’s request for comment, and a spokesperson for the Partnership declined to comment beyond the organization’s initial press release.
The Partnership was founded in 2002 by retail mogul Les Wexner; Jack Kessler, a longtime business partner of Wexner; and former Dispatch publisher John F. Wolfe. It has both an executive committee and a board of advisors, each made up of representatives from prominent companies in the region.
Nationwide CEO Kirt Walker and Huntington Bank President and CEO Stephen Steinour serve as the Partnership’s co-chairs.
Insiders call Hall a ‘bully,’ external sources say otherwise
One former employee characterized Hall as “like Jekyll and Hyde” – polite and kind to outsiders, but a “tyrant” to those he worked most closely with. Insiders painted a picture of “bullying” and “disrespect” among “a broad culture of intimidation and screaming.”
“[Employees] were all holding hands and saying, ‘We’re out of here together if he stays,'” the former employee said.
But some of the region’s leaders depict a much different experience with Hall.
Greg Davies, the head of Downtown Columbus, Inc., and Steve Stivers, who runs the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, each described Hall as friendly, personable and easy to work with in the limited contact they’ve had with him.
“I had an exceedingly positive experience with Jason,” Stivers said. “He was always smart and positive.”
Hall left a similar job with economic development organization Greater St. Louis, Inc., in December 2024, and under similar circumstances.
Greater St. Louis, Inc. had grappled with roughly a dozen complaints from departing employees about Hall’s management style, insiders previously told the St. Louis Business Journal. An external investigation took place; Hall agreed to management training; and the situation was “amicably resolved,” a GSL board member told the Journal.
Tony Wyche, a GSL spokesperson, declined The Dispatch’s request to comment on Hall’s departure from the Partnership.
Dispatch reporter Sheridan Hendrix contributed to this report.
Reporter Emma Wozniak can be reached at ewozniak@dispatch.com or @emma_wozniak_ on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Growth and development reporter Dean Narciso can be reached at dnarciso@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Partnership CEO out after creating ‘bullying’ culture, insiders say
Reporting by Emma Wozniak and Dean Narciso, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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By Emma Wozniak and Dean Narciso, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
