The founder of Google’s employee mindfulness program quietly resigned last month from a nonprofit he cofounded, citing “inappropriate behavior” from his past.
Chade-Meng Tan stepped down as chair of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI), which promotes mindfulness and emotional intelligence, at the board’s request after a third-party investigation into the unspecified behavior, the organization said in a statement on July 19.
The news is a dramatic turn for a man whose position at Google and ideas about building happier, more compassionate companies won him a best-selling book, Search Inside Yourself; a TED talk at the United Nations; appearances alongside the Dalai Lama and other Buddhist leaders; and a $7.5 million home in Santa Cruz, Calif.
“[Tan] fully cooperated with the investigation and has expressed remorse for his past conduct,” the statement read; “however, we hold everyone associated with the organization to the highest standards of professionalism.”
The behavior that triggered the investigation occurred before Tan cofounded SIYLI, according to the statement.
Tan said in a blog post on his personal website, also published July 19, that he “spoke and acted with some people in ways” he thought were socially acceptable but now realizes were “disrespectful and hurtful.”
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://thinkprogress.org/googles-former-mindfulness-guru-steps-down-from-nonprofit-over-inappropriate-behavior-2e7bb2a8e6c3/