Dell apologises for moderator's misogynistic rant

Vendor says "inappropriate" remarks made by the host of its recent Copenhagen partner and customer summit do not reflect its values

Dell has formally apologised for misogynistic remarks made by the moderator of one of its recent partner and customer summits.

The vendor employed Danish "lifestyle speaker" Mads Christensen to warm up the crowd at its Copenhagen summit last month. He took to the stage directly after Michael Dell's keynote speech.

The vendor last night said it "sincerely apologises" for a "number of inappropriate and insensitive remarks about women" made by its host at the event.

According to various posts, this included asking those women in the room "what are you actually doing here?"

"The IT business is one of the last frontiers that manages to keep women out," Christensen is reported to have said. "The quota of women to men in your business is sound and healthy."

In a statement on Google+, Dell said the comments - which were first brought to light by Elektronista reporter Christiane Vejlø - "do not reflect Dell's company values and undermine much of the work we have done in support of women in the workplace overall".

"As members of our Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network know, Dell is an enthusiastic and committed advocate of women in business and IT," it added.