A third property, for another woman, was at the centre of a separate Federal Court brawl that ended in a settlement earlier this week. That woman, Sydney wellness entrepreneur Linda Rogan, had alleged White expected sex in exchange for an investment in her company.
Holman is not the only senior WiseTech figure to have quit the company in recent years. WiseTech’s head of legal, Katherine Lowe, quit around the same time as Holman after just four months in the job. Arlene Tansey, another board director, left the board in 2022.
Arlene Tansey left WiseTech after a short tenure.Credit: Louie Douvis
Holman, Lowe and Tansey declined to comment. It is unclear why Lowe and Tansey left the company, and there is no suggestion they share Holman’s concerns.
On Tuesday, the WiseTech Global board said that White had “confirmed that he has complied with the policy and disclosed appropriately” his relationship with Kontos, as required by the company’s strict code of conduct.
This masthead is not suggesting that White is guilty of intimidation, bullying and overseeing poor corporate governance, only that there may be grounds to investigate those allegations.
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Three people close to the company, who spoke on condition of confidentiality because they were not authorised to discuss these issues, confirmed that Holman had serious concerns about the governance of WiseTech Global before she left.
“I believe that the CEO’s belief that ‘nothing is broken and therefore there is nothing to be fixed’ is code for ‘do as I say’ and be a rubber stamp to his decisions,” she wrote in her letter. “It is clear to me that remaining a director … would require me to conform to the standards, values and culture espoused by the Board. It is something I am not prepared to do.”
A board spokeswoman said: “WiseTech does not comment on board deliberations nor on behalf of any individual member and their decisions. The company has made the appropriate disclosures as required by the ASX listing rules.”
The board did not answer a series of questions about Holman or Tansey’s resignations, whether current directors were informed about the reasons why they left or any concerns they may have raised. The board has previously given detailed answers on its deliberations about allegations made against White in 2020.
Holman did not specify which executive’s remuneration she was concerned about.
This masthead has previously reported that some WiseTech Global directors were concerned that the company’s then chief growth officer Gail Williamson was paid a $2.7 million annual salary – double what White earned as chief executive.
One director noted the issue “has the capacity to seriously harm the company and its shareholders on numerous fronts”, according to leaked board documents.
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A spokeswoman for White has previously said the businessman only met Williamson during her job interview, and only had “work-related interactions with her”.
This masthead is not suggesting that Williamson was not deserving of her remuneration, or unqualified, only that the board raised this issue.
Asked about the issues confronting WiseTech Global on Wednesday, Australian Securities and Investments Commission deputy chairwoman Sarah Court said the corporate regulator was monitoring the allegations closely. “We are aware of that situation,” she said.
With Sumeyya Ilanbey