to think this is crass and shouldn't happen again.

[Fixthis]

At work we hold an annual conference for managers and assistant managers. So about 1,200 employees attend. It is the usual thing, updates about the company plan and sharing the good news stories and making people feel part of something bigger.

Each of the most senior business leaders have a slot and generally all try to make it fun or interesting. For example one sets theirs up like a talk show. Each year a certain one of them choses to come on to stage flanked by models in little clothing. Nothing else. They don't perform or even talk that just stand either side of him and music plays as he comes in.

I instantly thought, eewww and why. To me the message is is giving to 1,200 employees is that women are there to look at and no more. Certainly that is the only roll thoes particular women have.

To be clear, we don't work in an industry that is at all related to beauty/fashion/modelling.

It makes me feel really embarrassed to work for the company. The guy has since been promoted and there is speculation in the office if he will do the same this year or if his replacement to his old job will 'get the honour'.

I think is is pathetic and sends a terrible message. AIBU?

Slim No, but you are on the right track.

Final answer
Audi

But I suppose you can't tell us if I've won £64,000

A bank?

When you say 'right track', do you mean in terms of size? Is it a multi-national?

Electronics?

I wondered if it might be a bank. I've worked for a few. Quite a few inadequate men with inferiority complexes in some fields.

Could be a bank but I reckon car company. Or possibly car/aerospace like Rolls Royce.

What's his name? Albert Steptoe?

Ugh. The Sky darts players come out flanked by sexily dressed young women, which is why I only watch darts on the BBC. Does he think he's Phil Taylor OP?

Bloody hell! Do you have a staff forum? Or an annual staff survey? Can you feedback your thoughts that Way? What does your own line manager think about this?

Just in case there was a context (really struggling to see what!) i would ask someone involved, "maybe it's just me, but I didn't get the bit with the models? I'm sure it was meant to reference/mean something but it just looked like a throwback to the days when women were just used as decoration?"

Are their any women in senior management positions there? Perhaps she could get some hunky beefcakes covered in body oil in just a jock strap to parade on to talk the absolute p*ss. ok ok just my revenge side being silly.

Seriously tho what a weirdo. There is having a joke and there is taking it too far. What he has done is take it too far. Its grimacing stuff. Escalate to a higher level.

I'm genuinely astonished that a serious company with a public image it cares about (OP mentioned a "Daily Mail test" etc) would allow this to happen.

I've worked for several multinational companies in sectors that are male-dominated and in many ways quite sexist (engineering, construction, utilities) including with clients in very sexist parts of the world, and not one of them would have tolerated this sort of thing for a millisecond.