Christine Holman, speaking broadly, said she had decided to quit boards in the past after overestimating her ability to bring about change, as well as underestimating the power of chief executives to influence independent board directors.
“I’ve been told so many times [after quitting WiseTech] that my chances of getting another board position was virtually zero, which is fine because I didn’t do this for the money,” Holman told the conference on Wednesday morning, in her first public comments on the scandals engulfing WiseTech.
Holman, who is now a director at AGL, Metcash and Football Australia, reflected on advice she received as a teenager. “If you have crossed that line of integrity, good luck trying to redraw that line, and it’s a burden you’re going to live with for the rest of your life, and I’m just not prepared to cross that line of integrity ever.”
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The Age, Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian Financial Review in October revealed Holman had resigned in 2019 after expressing concerns about a range of significant problems within the company, including the conduct of White as its chief executive.
In a resignation memo to the board she accused White of “sustained intimidation and bullying … in the form of aggressive emails, one-on-one meetings and public berating in both audit and risk committee meetings and board meetings”.
“This behaviour of the CEO has been witnessed by many, including the other directors,” she wrote.
“Despite bringing this unacceptable behaviour to the attention of the chairman and other directors on numerous occasions, this behaviour has not been addressed, and instead I have been told to have ‘founder empathy and accept that is how geniuses are’.”
WiseTech has been in turmoil after this masthead and The Australian Financial Review last year revealed the tumultuous relationship between White and his wife, Zena Nasser, and the control she is alleged to exert over his business affairs.
White was dubbed the “LinkedIn Lecher” after claims he approached women on the business networking site, and it soon became clear his interests were of a sexual nature.
