Liddell quits for Trump
Chris Liddell is giving up his role as a director and chairman of cloud accounting firm Xero in the wake of his appointment as a top aide to United States Presidentelect Donald Trump.
Chief executive Rod Drury had been fending off a backlash on social media about Liddell’s appointment as head of Trump’s strategic initiatives team.
Drury rejected suggestions that warm comments he made about the appointment equated to an endorsement by him of the Trump brand.
He said on Wednesday that he would have loved Liddell to stay on as Xero chairman, while tipping that might not be possible.
Hamilton man Rod de Lisle was among a small number of Xero customers who took to social media to threaten to close his account with Xero.
De Lisle said that the threat his wife’s business would stop using Xero was a bit ‘‘tongue and cheek’’ and he had since reconsidered.
But he said he was surprised by what he saw as an endorsement of Liddell’s move by Xero chief executive Rod Drury. ‘‘A lot of people in this country don’t like Trump, including myself.’’
Drury said on Wednesday that Liddell’s appointment was ‘‘incredibly exciting’’ and that Liddell would be able to do ‘‘good things’’ in his new role.
Drury had also said he would love to see Liddell stay on as chairman of Xero, though the company confirmed yesterday that would not be possible. Liddell will step down as a director and chairman of Xero today.
A businesswoman based in London, Jen Ferguson, tweeted that she was also ‘‘thinking twice’’ about her business’s use of Xero.
Drury described her as ‘‘silly’’ for suggesting his comments amounted to an endorsement of the ‘‘Trump brand’’.
‘‘We’re proud of Chris being asked to do an important role irrespective of any politics,’’ he sought to explain.
‘‘Xero is a company and has no view. We create jobs through small business and are making a positive impact,’’ he added.
Drury reiterated that wake of exchanges.
‘‘There is no story – our chairman has got a great position and we are proud of him and that’s it. It is classic social media, just trying to conflate a whole lot of issues,’’ he said.
‘‘We have explained Xero’s politics very well. We think it is really important that we create jobs for small businesses and we have a diverse group of staff and a diverse group of customers with all different views.’’
Xero spokeswoman Alex Mercer said the company was aware of the ‘‘feedback’’ on social media, which she believed expressed ‘‘surprise’’ at Liddell’s appointment more than concern.
It had no evidence any customers had deserted Xero because of the appointment, she said.
Liddell will be replaced as Xero chairman by Graham Smith, who has sat on Xero’s board for two years and, like Liddell, lives in the United States.
Smith has more than 25 years’ experience in the financial side of the software industry. in the
"Our chairman has got a great position and we are proud of him." Xero chief executive Rod Drury