GoDaddy CEO to speak at women in computing event: Times have changed

CEO of firm known for sexy commercials to speak on panel at women in computing conference.

GoDaddy’s CEO is speaking on the “Male Allies” panel at next week’s Anita Borg Institute Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing event.

Let that soak in for a moment.

Such a role for a GoDaddy CEO would not have been imaginable five years ago. The firm, known for its objectifying TV commercials, has rankled women for the past decade.

But the man behind those commercials is no longer at the helm of GoDaddy*. Blake Irving is now running the show and wants to change the firm’s image. That includes ending the controversial commercials (a move that was underway ahead of he took the CEO gig).

Not everyone knows regarding this shift at the firm, or at least is willing to forgive GoDaddy for its previous advertising.

Irving has responded to one such person who challenged him on Twitter with a blog post responding to 7 tweets she directed to him.

It’s a rather thoughtful post on change at the firm and Irving’s own beliefs regarding women in technology and equality.

Irving can’t undue the past at GoDaddy and the impressions it has left on people that will only every know the firm by its controversial commercials. He makes a strong plea, though:

There are some who don’t want me there since of my fresh(ish) role as GoDaddy’s chief exec. Those people tell me that the firm’s past transgressions are unforgivable—even when the past leadership team has been replaced. Their position reminds me of a neighbor I once had who would never buy a Japanese car since he was still angry regarding WWII and nothing anyone stated could ever change that. It didn’t matter to him that the rest of the world saw the post war change and reform in Japan and worked to build a fresh world together—he was not willing to “give up the enemy” for any cost.

That’s a pretty thick comparison, but I understand his point.

I also understand naysayers who point out that the only reason the firm is where it is now is since of its controversial advertising. Those “past transgressions” were necessary to make GoDaddy what it is; if they were erased, then Irving probably wouldn’t be running a billion-dollar domain name registrar right now.

(*Although no longer involved in day-to-day operations, Bob Parsons is still the firm’s largest single shareholder)