While transparency is touted as a value, there's a definite limit on what you can say, especially if you're female. The CEO & some members of management prefer sycophants to engaged team members who are willing to challenge the status quo. The CEO is also highly involved in every department's operations, which is understandable given his role as founder. However, the company is getting too big to operate in this manner and this behavior only reinforces the idea that sycophants succeed. At the end of the day, what the CEO wants, he gets.