2. Gary Steele, Splunk

Splunk is another in a long line of tech companies initiating layoffs. These will affect approximately 325 employees, or 4% of its global workforce. Most of the cuts at the enterprise software provider will impact employees in North America.

Gary Steele is president and CEO at Splunk. He made waves when he noted that the layoffs are a difficult decision.

“Decisions of this nature have a significant human impact, and I don’t take that lightly,” Steele said, whose remarks were part of an SEC filing. “The people leaving the company are our fellow Splunkers, our friends, and have helped drive our success. I want to express my gratitude for the important contributions they’ve made to Splunk and to our customers.”

Find out more about whether the company will be hiring this year.