Pros
When I first started at Lyris I was excited to work there. I loved my co-workers. There seemed to be a level of transparency that was refreshing, and upper management seemed to genuinely care about everyone. Luis had his flaws, but one of the things he excelled at was creating a cohesive and cooperative work space that made it a fun place to come to.
Cons
The first huge crack in the armor was when the new CEO was brought in. I had a bad feeling about him right from the start. Prior to this, there seemed to be no inner office gossip, no in-fighting. People worked really hard and enjoyed it. When the new CEO was introduced to us, I was struck by what appeared to me to be his negativity, and when he made assurances and promises, I could tell at once they were lies. He promised no huge changes for several months, until he had a chance to look at the lay of the land. Only a week later, I was proven utterly correct, and sadly, have continued to be proven correct ever since. The people who were laid off were not all 'dead wood'. In many cases, they were the people who would question your actions and motives in a way that creates energetic dialogue; the ones who, in a healthy work environment, are absolutely necessary to provide an opposing insight that may be otherwise overlooked. Or, they were simply unlucky - either not enough seniority, or not adept enough at inner office politics. Since the first big lay off, people have fled in droves, until the only people who are left are either people unlucky enough not to find anything elsewhere, or minions who will say yes simply because it serves their best interests to go along with the whims of executive management. They function under the idea that people are replaceable, which, to a certain extent is true, however, a company, when boiled right down to it, IS its people. What is Lyris now? Look at the other reviews and see for yourself. I am truly saddened at what has been done to this company. It was a huge source of pride for myself and my coworkers, and it is being destroyed, brick by brick, one bad idea after another.