Top banker’s sexism claim after ‘losing job to younger female rival’
A TOP banking executive claims he was forced from his job after more than a quarter of a century in favour of a younger woman.
John Marshall had spent 27 years at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s London office, where he was head of finance and operations.
But the 60-year-old claims he was made redundant following the arrival of Debbie Lotz, 13 years his junior.
He claims Miss Lotz, who joined in 2015 from the company’s head offices in Sydney, then colluded with his boss to take over his position and sack three staff.
Mr Marshall, who previously worked for accountants Ernst and Young, lost his job in the summer of 2016. He has now taken the bank to an employment tribunal accusing it of ageism, racism and sexual discrimination.
Giving evidence to the Central London Employment Tribunal, he said: ‘It was clear to me that Debbie had not been selected because she was better for the role than I was… It seemed that the most obvious difference between us was our age but I was also concerned that Debbie may have been preferred because she is a woman, or because she is Australian.
‘Staff in the London office generally felt that head office staff were favoured.’
Mr Marshall also claimed his new colleague started working with Australian members of his team without his knowledge. He claimed he only found out Miss Lotz had been looking at staffing changes with his line manager Alan Docherty after he was offered a redundancy package.
Miss Lotz, who has joint UK Australian citizenship, had worked in Australia between 2006 and 2015, at the Commonwealth Bank and for Royal Bank of Scotland.
Mr Marshall, who has a £1million home near Tonbridge, Kent, claimed the bank brought Australian staff into top positions in London over the heads of UK executives.
Describing how he felt Miss Lotz took over, Mr Marshall said: ‘My team members being counselled by Debbie were either junior members of staff, or staff who were Australian or began working for the bank in Aus tralia. I raised this with Alan Docherty, who said he had not told her to do that and she shouldn’t be doing it.’
Judge David Pearl said: ‘Had she just barged in with her size 11’s trampling all over your territory?’ Mr Marshall replied: ‘It would be strange to make an offer to [a member of] someone else’s team without clearing it with their manager first.’
After being told he would be made redundant, he admits rifling through Miss Lotz’s desk when he found a drawer unlocked during a security review within the bank’s offices close to St Paul’s Cathedral.
It led to him discovering a ‘target chart’ detailing redundancies and a team restructure, including how she would take his job. Mr Marshall said: ‘I was so shocked and appalled by what I had read that I didn’t know what to do.
‘The information confirmed what Alan had told me, I was to leave with no question of alternative employment. Moreover it confirmed that he had told Debbie this as early as March 2016 though I wasn’t told until the middle of June. I was hurt that the plan to dismiss me had been so clear and long-term.’
Gavin Mansfield QC, defending the bank, accused Mr Marshall of taking copies of the chart for his own personal gain. ‘You were thinking that these documents were going to be to your cause and you did not want anyone to know that you had found them,’ he said.
During Mr Marshall’s redundancy meeting in June 2016 Mr Docherty is said to have told him he wanted someone new.
Mr Marshall said: ‘I argued that the decision was completely illogical, that Debbie was not qualified for the role.’
The bank denies Mr Marshall’s claims, saying he went through a straightforward redundancy.
The hearing continues.
‘Trampling over your territory’