Australia’s leading retail company Super Retail Group has sacked its CEO Anthony Heraghty. The decision was taken by the company’s board on Tuesday after it concluded that the information Heraghty shared about his relationship with former human resources chief Jane Kelly was not satisfactory.
“The Board made this decision after receiving new information from Mr Heraghty regarding his relationship with the company’s former Chief Human Resources Officer,” the company said in a statement to investors, as reported by SkyNews Australia.
The company further added, “In light of this new information, the Board has concluded Mr Heraghty’s prior disclosures were not satisfactory.”
Super Retail Group owns some of Australia’s best-known brands such as Rebel Sport, BCF, and Supercheap Auto. It is unclear what information Heraghty had disclosed that led the board to decide to sack him.
CEO accused of affair with former HR head
Allegations of a relationship between Heraghty and the former HR chief first surfaced in April 2024. Two whistleblowers, former chief legal officer Rebecca Farrell and co-company secretary Amelia Berczelly, claimed they were threatened and harassed after complaining about the romance. The case is currently pending in the Federal Court.
According to recent court filings, news.com.au reported that Berczelly saw Heraghty and Kelly enter the lobby of a Brisbane hotel together in June 2023. Another employee claimed the CEO put his hand on Kelly’s thigh at a bar in 2022.
Chief Financial Officer David Burns has been appointed interim CEO while the search for a permanent CEO continues. Super Retail’s board has cut all financial ties to Heraghty and cancelled his unvested incentives.
The company’s shares fell 2.6 percent in early trading after the announcement, raising concerns among investors. Analysts were surprised by the timing. “Clearly, new information has come to light, however we are surprised around the timing given how long it has been since these investigations were initiated,” said Kade Madigan, an analyst at E&P Retail.
Coldplay kiss-cam scandal
The controversy at Super Retail’s executive level follows another recent corporate scandal. In July, Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot resigned after they were caught on a stadium “kiss cam” during a Coldplay concert. The video quickly went viral on social media.
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