Theranos did have a spokesperson, as in used to have one person handling all public relations efforts outwardly. We’ve confirmed Brooke Buchanan, VP of communications, left her position within the company on Friday.
Buchanan could not be reached for comment on the departure but the head of comms was handling all calls, emails, and any other messages related to the troubled one drop blood analysis company.
The soap opera Theranos has become revolves around failed technology, misleading results, a dramatic plummet in valuation, government inquiries, threats to oust the founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes and bar her from working in the industry for a time, a pull out from Theranos main partner Walgreens and a criminal investigation.
The company still had more than $700 million in the bank at last count and yet, with all the issues, chose to appoint but one spokesperson to answer for everything. It’s an insurmountable task for a team of flacks, let alone ONE SINGLE PERSON.
But Theranos is a company built on promises and not much else at this point and it was likely a crushing job for Buchanan to continue taking on.
Buchanan told journalists earlier Holmes would be revealing the inner workings of company technology at the American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) conference on August 1st but Holmes has since reneged on her appearance to press there.
Holmes promised to meet with a wide group of 200 members of the press after her presentation but was questioned on why she would do so while under criminal and government investigations. The disgraced Theranos founder will now be skipping the press Q&A and will instead meet with individual journalists in Palo Alto before the conference.
We’ve reached out to both Buchanan and Theranos for comment about what happened and if there’s a plan to replace Buchanan.
Perhaps the company, like Buchanan, has given up explaining itself to the general public, but it seems they’ll need someone if there’s any glimmer of hope left for Theranos.
But maybe that’s the point. Maybe there just isn’t any hope left. We’ll let you know if and when we do hear from Theranos on the departure and what Holmes plans to tell the media before the AACC conference in August.
Update: Theranos did not want to comment on whether or not it would seek to replace Buchanan but we have been informed there is someone else handling PR now.
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