UNITED STATES
Business Ethics
by Gael O’Brien
Founder CEOs of brands that become iconic often think so far outside the box, they create new paradigms — think Richard Branson (Virgin ), Anita Roddick (Body Shop) and John H. Johnson (Johnson Publishing) to name a few. Unconventional thinkers, they earn recognition as visionary risk takers in pursuit of a dream. John Mackey is in this club as co-founder of Whole Foods Market (WFM) and the Conscious Capitalism movement he’s described as creating a new paradigm for business.
However, recent negative publicity about the ethical behavior of one of Mackey’s thought partners raises a question about whether aligning with him will undermine credibility in the evolving work Mackey and others are undertaking.
Marc Gafni, a former rabbi, self-describes as a visionary thinker, philosopher, wisdom teacher and provocateur. Longstanding accusations of plagiarism and sexual misconduct (including sexually exploiting two minors and affairs with women followers) were chronicled — and made far more public — in a recent New York Times column, “A Spiritual Leader Gains Stature, Trailed by a Troubled Past.” Mackey came into the story through his role as executive board chairman of Gafni’s think tank, The Center for Integral Wisdom, and a seven-part video series of conversations between Mackey and Gafni posted on the WFM website.
Although stories about Gafni’s past (and denied by him) appeared over the years in Jewish publications, the Times column galvanized critics into action. The WFM board received a letter petition now signed by 100 rabbis calling for “those who support Marc Gafni to cut all financial and institutional ties.” The petition has over 3,400 signatures so far. Mackey put a statement on the WFM website: “My involvement with Marc Gafni and the Center for Integral Wisdom is conducted strictly in my personal life and does not represent an endorsement or support for either Mr. Gafni or the Center for Integral Wisdom by Whole Foods Market.” In keeping with that position, Mackey said, the videos (discussing what it means to be a “unique company” and a “unique self” within the WFM environment) were removed from the WFM site and are available only on the think tank’s site.
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