Ozy Media has asked its COO Samir Rao to take a leave of absence after a damaging New York Times report on Sunday revealed that he had impersonated a Google executive on a fundraising call with Goldman Sachs.
Harry Hawks, the former executive president and chief financial officer of Hearst Television, will serve as interim CFO during this transition period.
“Following reports of conduct that is not in keeping with our standards or values, OZY has engaged Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP to conduct a review of the company’s business activities. We have also asked Samir Rao, Chief Operating Officer, to take a leave of absence pending the results of the investigation,” the Ozy board of directors said in a statement.