????作為獨立出版商，Rodale Inc.不僅擁有《Men's Health》、《Runner's World》這樣的時尚雜志，也出版過從《South Beach Diet》到霍華德?舒爾茨的《Onward》等很多書。如今，這家著名的出版公司正經歷著多位高管先后出走的傷痛。據消息人士透露，高管出走的原因是不滿于2009年9月上任的首席執(zhí)行官瑪利亞?羅德爾。

????本月，Rodale的出走高管名單又新增了兩位，分別是國際營運高級副總裁米歇爾?梅爾考德和數(shù)字廣告銷售副總裁詹姆斯?克雷克勒。據一位前雇員透露，梅爾考德前不久才被升為戰(zhàn)略主管，“成為了瑪利亞的得力助手”。這位前雇員認為，梅爾考德的辭職可能代表著“一些公司問題已積累至極限”。梅爾考德和克雷克勒都沒有回復置評請求。

????Rodale的高管陸續(xù)出走已有時日。公司發(fā)言人證實2011年辭職或被辭退的高管包括首席信息官肯?希特倫，《Men's Health》出版人杰克?艾西格，消費者參與總監(jiān)安德魯?利文斯頓，全球營銷高級副總裁戴維?馬奇，首席營銷長格雷格?麥科森，執(zhí)行副總裁兼集團出版人瑪麗?默克，執(zhí)行副總裁兼圖書出版人凱倫?里納爾迪，高級副總裁兼編務總監(jiān)比爾?斯杜姆普以及定向出版副總裁瓦拉瑞?維勒特。Rodale.com總經理戴維?康（音譯）、傳播執(zhí)行副總裁羅賓?夏羅和執(zhí)行副總裁兼集團出版人瑪麗安?貝克達爾也在羅德爾就任首席執(zhí)行官后出走。除了斯杜姆普，所有這些高管都常駐紐約市，而不是Rodale位于賓夕法尼亞州Emmaus的總部。

????高管們?yōu)楹芜x擇出走？誠然，過去幾年大多數(shù)出版商的日子都不好過。但即便是在困難時期，Rodale的高管出走之多仍異乎尋常。幾位不愿透露姓名的Rodale現(xiàn)職員和前職員們表示，員工們已對管理層喪失了信心。

????在這個時代，很多出版帝國的盈利能力早已今非昔比，家族控制面臨壓力。Rodale仍努力維持著其作為美國最大的圖書獨立出版商的地位。此外，它也出品一些報攤上常見的健康和健身雜志。創(chuàng)立于1930年的Rodale現(xiàn)在仍由羅德爾家族所有和控制。在六人董事會中，有4位是羅德爾家族成員，包括瑪利亞和她的兄弟姐妹安東尼、希瑟和海蒂。現(xiàn)年49歲的瑪利亞?羅德爾1991年加入董事會，2007年當選董事長。Rodale歷史上唯一一位非家族成員的首席執(zhí)行官是史蒂夫?墨菲，他已于2009年離開Rodale、轉投佳士得（Christie's）。

????前員工們將墨菲的離開視為高層震蕩的開端。時任《Organic Gardening》雜志編輯的瑪利亞?羅德爾出任Rodale首席執(zhí)行官，讓一些員工感到不滿?！斑@是一個錯誤，”一位前雇員稱，“在形勢嚴峻時期找了一個新人來管理公司?！边@位雇員還表示，新老板“感性而隨和”的備忘錄也讓人們“頻頻搖頭”，她的公開博客Maria's Farm Country Kitchen成了員工們取笑的對象。員工們開始自嘲公司的糟糕境地，稱之為“Rodead”（意即Rod死了）。

????Rodale Inc., the independent publisher of lifestyle magazines Men's Health and Runner's World as well as books ranging from the South Beach Diet to Howard Schultz's Onward, has quietly suffered a stinging series of high-level departures. The reason, sources say, is frustration with CEO Maria Rodale, who took over in September 2009.

????The number of goodbyes grew last week with the resignation of Michelle Meyercord, senior vice president of international operations, and James Kreckler, a vice president who ran the company's digital ad sales. Meyercord had recently been promoted to head of strategy and "grew into Maria's right-hand person," according to one former employee, who describes the departure as "a tipping point for the company." Neither Meyercord nor Kreckler responded to requests for comment.

????Those departures are the latest in a long, slow exodus. A spokesperson for Rodale confirmed that the following people left or were fired in 2011: chief information officer Ken Citron; Jack Essig, publisher of Men's Health; Andrew Livingston, director of consumer engagement; David Marchi, senior vice president of global marketing; chief marketing officer Gregg Michaelson; Mary Murcko, executive vice president and group publisher; Karen Rinaldi, executive vice president and books publisher; Bill Stump, senior vice president and editorial director; and Valerie Valente, a vice president in custom publishing. Rodale.com general manager David Kang, communications executive vice president Robin Shallow and executive vice president and group publisher MaryAnn Bekkedahl also left after Rodale became CEO. All but Stump were based in New York City, rather than Rodale's Emmaus, Pennsylvania headquarters.

????Why the executive flight? Certainly, the last few years have been bruising for most publishers. But even in a difficult climate, the number of high-profile departures at Rodale is unusual. Current and former Rodale employees, who spoke with Fortune on condition of anonymity, describe a workforce that has become disillusioned with its leadership.

????In an era where family control of once-lucrative publishing empires has come under pressure, Rodale has managed to remain the largest independent book publisher in the country. It also produces some of the best-known health and wellness titles on newsstands. Founded in 1930, the eponymous firm is still owned and controlled by the Rodale family. Of the six-person board of directors, four are Rodales including Maria as well as siblings Anthony, Heather and Heidi. Maria Rodale, 49, joined the board in 1991 and was elected chairman in 2007. The only CEO in the company's history to come from outside the family was Steve Murphy, who left in 2009 to run Christie's.

????Former staffers point to Murphy's departure as the beginning of the turmoil. Maria Rodale, at that time the editor of Organic Gardening, took the company's top job, which chafed some staffers. "That was the mistake," says one former employee, "not seeking someone new to run the company in a tough time." This person adds that the new boss's "heart-warming and folksy" memos would leave people "shaking their heads" and that her public blog, Maria's Farm Country Kitchen, became a source of ridicule among the staff. Employees started joking about the dire atmosphere, calling the company "Rodead."