Fired CFO alleges financial institution invented relationship story as motive to power her out

Nadine Ahn repeated her denial that she was in a romantic relationship with Ken Mason, a former government within the financial institution’s treasury division. The 2 have been nothing greater than “good friends,” and Ahn by no means abused her energy to orchestrate promotions or pay raises for him, in keeping with new authorized paperwork filed in an Ontario courtroom. 

Canada’s greatest financial institution sacked Ahn in April after an investigation sparked by an nameless whistleblower’s criticism concerning the alleged relationship. The previous CFO, one of many nation’s most outstanding girls in finance with 25 years of expertise on the financial institution, filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit final month. 

The financial institution fired again one week later, alleging it has greater than a decade of communications between Ahn and Mason proving the 2 had an intimate relationship that they did not disclose. RBC claimed the colleagues used pet names, swapped romantic poetry, celebrated anniversaries and met outdoors of labor for drinks. 

“It is clear that RBC’s conclusions are based on conjecture and speculation, and are a blatant, deliberate attempt to manufacture a just cause termination,” the courtroom submitting states. 

RBC has “selectively quoted” communications between the previous colleagues, Ahn’s lawyer, Mark Fletcher, stated in a separate assertion on Thursday. “There is no policy against workplace friendships, and that’s all this was.” 

A spokesperson for RBC declined to touch upon Ahn’s new filings however referred to the financial institution’s earlier responses and courtroom filings.  

“Ms. Ahn was a highly respected member of the executive team and a senior leader with fiduciary responsibilities. We supported her career growth and had great confidence in her abilities,” the corporate stated in an earlier assertion. After receiving the nameless criticism, the financial institution “immediately commenced a thorough investigation conducted by external legal counsel. We were disappointed to learn the allegations were true.”

RBC has additionally stated it had an obligation to reveal Ahn’s dismissal in a information launch as a result of she was a named government officer of the corporate. 

Attorneys for Mason, who can also be suing for wrongful dismissal, didn’t reply to a request for remark. 

RBC’s Allegations 

Mason earned his promotions and pay raises, Fletcher stated. “Nadine was supportive when consulted about these decisions because they made sense. There are many checks and balances at the bank to ensure no individual can unilaterally determine compensation.” 

Within the courtroom submitting, Ahn argued the financial institution’s insurance policies don’t require the disclosure of office friendships. RBC executives often socialized outdoors of labor with each other, and a few even took holidays collectively. Nicknames have been a typical a part of the office tradition, the paperwork declare. 

Ahn additional denied RBC’s allegations that she inappropriately shared confidential data with Mason and that she lied to exterior investigators when confronted concerning the relationship. 

She stated a state of affairs wherein she fired an worker for having an undisclosed romantic relationship with a subordinate was “fundamentally different than the workplace friendship” she had with Mason.   

(Updates with firm’s previous responses in eighth paragraph.)

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