Green was a bully – I had to protect my staff from him, says ex-Topshop boss
SIR Philip Green was branded a notorious bully yesterday by a former Topshop executive.
Jane Shepherdson, who worked for the company for nearly 20 years, broke her silence over bullying and harassment claims against the billionaire.
She claimed he bullied employees within his Arcadia Group empire, and that she found the tycoon’s behaviour ‘exhausting’.
The former Topshop brand director worked directly for Sir Philip after he took over the brand in 2002, and said she tried to protect her team from his angry tirades.
Sir Philip, 66, has denied claims of unlawful sexual harassment following reports that he asked women in meetings if they were ‘ naughty girls’ and if they ‘ needed their bottoms slapped’. Sources inside Arcadia have claimed he was ‘very physical’ with female employees, greeting them with ‘lingering hugs’, and mocked women over their weight.
Mrs Shepherdson, 57, said she never saw him sexually harass anyone at Topshop, but added that he was a notorious bully.
Speaking at the Women Mean Business summit, hosted by The Daily Telegraph, she said: ‘There’s no question he was a bully, everyone knows he was a bully. When I first came across him in 2002 I was very fortunate that Topshop was very successful so there wasn’t the power imbalance.
‘He did bully people. He didn’t bully me, he would try to, he would get very angry and shout a lot. And then I would get very angry and shout a lot. Every time I did that he would back down... It was really exhausting doing it. It takes its toll on you. You have to continue to be very aggressive.’
Mrs Shepherdson, who quit in 2007 and went on to become chief executive at Whistles, said she had fought to protect her Topshop team from Sir Philip.
‘I had brought on this incredibly talented team of people to work at Topshop,’ she said. ‘There was absolutely no way that I would have them exposed to the way Philip ran his business.
‘I felt it was my duty to protect my team from that. If he came on to the buying floor someone would come and get me and say, “Jane, Philip’s here” and I would say, “What do you want to talk about?” And then I would take him to the lift. I just thought well if they’re working for me, why should they have to be shouted at?
‘There was an awful lot of bullying and I think there still is.
‘I think it’s become acceptable in the fashion industry in a way it shouldn’t be. But I think his behaviour was worse than most.
Asked about the harassment allegations, she said: ‘When I was there I didn’t see him harass anyone sexually. That’s not to say it didn’t happen, but I didn’t see it.’
Retail consultant Mary Portas told the business summit that Sir Philip should have been held to account by managers at Arcadia. ‘This is just hierarchical power,’ she said. ‘The idea that “I am not accountable to anyone”. Someone at Arcadia should have said, “Why don’t we change the culture here so everyone is accountable?” ’
Sir Philip has faced calls for his knighthood to be removed after he was named last week as the wealthy businessman who took out a High Court injunction to stop the Telegraph publishing claims of sexual harassment and racial abuse. Employees who complained were silenced with payoffs and confidentiality deals.
He has denied any unlawful conduct and insisted his behaviour never intentionally went beyond workplace ‘banter’ – but said he was sorry if he had caused offence.
In 18 years at Topshop, Mrs Shepherdson was widely credited with transforming the business.
She quit in 2007, shortly after it was announced that supermodel Kate Moss was to design a line of clothing for the high street chain. The timing prompted speculation that she had not been consulted.