Nadine Ahn claims RBC manufactured reasons for her dismissal and refutes allegations of wrongdoing
Royal Bank of Canada’s former chief financial officer, Nadine Ahn, claims that her dismissal was a result of the bank trying to “manufacture” a reason to remove her, not due to any improper relationship, as per Financial Post.
Ahn was terminated following accusations that she failed to disclose a personal relationship with Ken Mason, a former executive in the bank’s treasury department. She continues to deny the allegations, maintaining that her relationship with Mason was purely a friendship.
In legal documents filed in Ontario, Ahn reaffirmed that she did not engage in a romantic relationship with Mason and did not use her influence to secure him promotions or salary increases.
She argued that the accusations are based on “conjecture and speculation,” and that the bank is attempting to justify her termination.
Ahn, who had worked at RBC for 25 years and was one of Canada’s leading female finance executives, was dismissed in April after a whistleblower’s complaint triggered an internal investigation.
Following her termination, Ahn filed a wrongful dismissal lawsuit, which led RBC to counter with claims that it had extensive communications proving an intimate relationship between Ahn and Mason.
The bank alleged that the two used pet names, exchanged romantic poetry, celebrated anniversaries, and met for drinks outside of work.
“There is no policy against workplace friendships, and that’s all this was,” said Ahn’s lawyer, Mark Fletcher, accusing the bank of selectively quoting communication between the two. He further emphasized that Ahn had not violated any company policies.
In a previous statement, RBC noted that after receiving the whistleblower’s complaint, it immediately initiated an investigation led by external legal counsel. The bank expressed disappointment at the findings, which it claimed validated the allegations.
A spokesperson for RBC declined to comment on Ahn’s latest legal filings but referred to the company’s previous responses. RBC also stated it was obligated to publicly disclose Ahn’s dismissal because of her role as a named executive officer.
Ahn’s lawyer argued that Mason’s promotions and salary increases were justified, and that Ahn only supported decisions made by the bank’s checks and balances. The court filings indicated that friendships among RBC executives were common, with some socializing outside work and using nicknames.
Ahn further denied any inappropriate sharing of confidential information with Mason or misleading external investigators.
She also pointed out that a past incident where she dismissed an employee for failing to disclose a romantic relationship with a subordinate was fundamentally different from her own situation, which she insists was a friendship.
