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Xero’s CEO has responded to ongoing allegations swirling around the tech company’s founder, Sir Rod Drury, defending the firm’s workplace complaint and misconduct processes.
Drury has been accused of sexual misconduct by several women in the last two months, with former staff member Ally Naylor coming forward with allegations ofinappropriate touching in April.
Xero chief executive Sukhinder Singh Cassidy has now issued a statement as the company faces increasing scrutiny over its handling of past complaints.
“As Xero’s current CEO, I want to make my commitments and expectations clear. I joined Xero to be part of a company that strives for the highest standards for all our customers, employees and stakeholders.”
The tech boss says the accounting software company has clear policies in place for dealing with sexual harassment or misconduct in the workplace.
“Importantly and personally, I have deep empathy for anyone who has ever experienced this type of harassment”, she said.
“I am proud of our workplace. Our current employees strongly recognise it as safe and inclusive, and we continue to work to make it even more so.”
Rod Drury returned his New Zealander of the Year award last week as more women have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct. Photo / Mike Scott
Naylor first raised Drury’s conduct to Xero in 2016, leading to an internal investigation in 2017 - the findings of which have not been publicly released.
Singh Cassidy said external counsel Maria Dew, KC, had been appointed to review the company’s handling of the complaint because the board took these processes “extremely seriously”.
She added that it was “the seriousness of the allegations that informed our approach to this matter”.
“We are committed to learning what we can do to further improve our processes through this review. This is part of our commitment to creating the safest possible environment for our employees going forward.”
As pressure continues to mount on Drury, the businessman has withdrawn from several public engagements, including his keynote speaker role at Electrify Queenstown at the end of the month.
He also faced fresh allegations last week as tech chief executive Jenene Crossan claimed he had made unwanted sexualised comments to her at a purported business meeting.
“While I completely reject the recent allegations about me, I do not want the current situation to undermine the integrity of the awards or place further pressure on a great organisation before the relevant investigations and proper processes have been completed.”
