Royal Financial institution of Canada mentioned it has proof that its former chief monetary officer engaged in an intimate relationship with a colleague that she didn’t disclose, citing exchanges between the 2 over textual content messages and emails.
Canada’s largest lender filed a press release of protection and counterclaim on Friday within the wrongful dismissal lawsuit filed earlier this month by Nadine Ahn, the manager it fired in April after 25 years on the financial institution.
The authorized submitting mentioned Ahn started a detailed private relationship with a colleague, Ken Mason — an govt within the financial institution’s company treasury group — as early as 2013 and that it continued till the time of her departure.
The doc provides a remarkably detailed have a look at how the financial institution alleges the connection performed out over greater than a decade. It consists of descriptions of how the 2 bankers continuously met outdoors work for cocktails, celebrated anniversaries, swapped romantic poetry, and known as one another by pet names — “Prickly Pear” for Ahn and “KD” for Mason.
Their textual content messages “fantasized a couple of life collectively, resembling studying in mattress collectively,” RBC’s courtroom submitting states.
“Ms. Ahn forwarded romantic poetry to Mr. Mason, expressing that she had fallen in love with Mr. Mason when she first noticed him,” based on the submitting. “Ms. Ahn and Mr. Mason continued to recurrently see one another outdoors of the workplace throughout this time interval, arranging a lunch on August 18, 2017 to have a good time their ‘fourth anniversary.’”
The shut relationship continued after she was promoted to CFO in 2021, based on the paperwork. RBC alleges that Ahn used her place throughout the firm to orchestrate promotions and pay raises for Mason, an endeavor it says Mason known as “Challenge Ken” in a doc he drew up. She additionally shared confidential data with Mason, the financial institution claims, resembling a draft of a speech to be given by Chief Govt Officer Dave McKay.
Learn Extra: RBC’s Ex-CFO Says She Had Shot at CEO Job Earlier than Financial institution Fired Her
The submitting states that RBC doesn’t have entry to their messages, “besides to the extent that Ms. Ahn and Mr. Mason copied private communications to RBC methods.”
Legal professionals for Mason and Ahn didn’t reply to messages in search of remark. Ahn mentioned in her lawsuit that she and Mason have been associates however denied that they have been romantic companions. Mason, who filed a separate wrongful dismissal lawsuit towards RBC, additionally denied a romantic relationship and mentioned the financial institution would have handled them in a different way if they’d each been males.
‘I Love You Too’
The financial institution cites “intimate communications” exchanged between the 2 by way of textual content message. As one instance, it states, “On March 11, 2019, Ms. Ahn messaged Mr. Mason to say, ‘I really like you.’ Mr. Mason responded 15 seconds later, ‘I really like you too.’”
The 2 allegedly used calendar invitations to schedule “liquidity conferences,” which the financial institution mentioned was code for going for cocktails. At one such assembly, the 2 scribbled notes about their drink orders and different matters resembling “live performance, night time out, vineyard” on a coaster from Canoe, an upscale restaurant in Toronto’s monetary district. Mason had the coaster encased in plexiglass and stored it in his workplace, RBC claims.
The financial institution mentioned it started investigating in March after an nameless whistleblower alleged that Ahn and Mason had been seen “hugging and kissing and exiting the elevators” on the Fairmont Royal York, a lodge that’s proper beside RBC’s head workplace.
Financial institution officers “instantly commenced a radical investigation carried out by exterior authorized counsel,” RBC spokesperson Gillian McArdle mentioned in an emailed assertion on Friday. “We have been disenchanted to be taught the allegations have been true.”
The Globe and Mail newspaper earlier reported on RBC’s courtroom submitting.
Ahn’s lawsuit complained about the best way Royal Financial institution dealt with the investigation, the pace with which she was fired after being confronted with the allegations on April 5, and the injury to her status when the financial institution put out a press launch that very same day.
“Opposite to the statements of declare from Ms. Ahn and Mr. Mason, the investigation confirmed there was an undisclosed shut private relationship, and that Ms. Ahn misused her authority as CFO to instantly profit Mr. Mason,” McArdle mentioned. “As she was a Named Govt Officer, we had an obligation to reveal.”
Ahn’s lawsuit is in search of virtually C$50 million ($37 million) in pay and damages whereas Mason is suing Royal Financial institution for greater than C$20 million in pay and damages.
In its counterclaim towards Ahn, RBC is in search of about C$4.5 million for “extra compensation” paid to Mason and to claw again bonuses paid to Ahn, plus different damages and prices.
RBC’s submitting states that when one other worker raised considerations about Mason’s pay, Ahn terminated that particular person’s employment with out trigger. The financial institution mentioned that former worker “has demanded compensation from RBC for dangerous religion termination of his employment, due to Ms. Ahn’s conduct.”
