Joe Natale, who served as chief executive officer (CEO) of Rogers Communications (RCI.B) from 2017 to 2021, is suing the company for wrongful dismissal.
Natale is also suing his former employer for breach of contract and seeking a total of $24 million in damages.
In a statement of claim filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, Natale accuses Rogers board chair Edward Rogers of attempting to “tarnish his reputation” and carrying out “malicious, high-handed, and oppressive conduct” as part of his ouster in November 2021.
For his part, Edward Rogers has called Natale’s claims “baseless” and said in a response that Natale “engaged in serious misconduct” while leading Rogers.
In a bizarre twist, Natale claims that Edward Rogers hired actor Brian Cox of the popular HBO television show “Succession” to create a video about him that was allegedly distributed to family, friends, and colleagues.
The video includes a message congratulating Edward Rogers on his “real-life Succession at Rogers Communications” and uses an expletive to describe Natale's departure from the company.
Natale is seeking $24 million in damages from Rogers Communications, including $4 million from an unpaid bonus related to the closing of Rogers' acquisition earlier this year of Shaw Communication.
Natale's departure from Toronto-based Rogers came after a boardroom power struggle over Edward Rogers wish to replace him with then-chief financial officer (CFO) Tony Staffieri.
Natale had been CEO of Telus Corp. (T) before joining Rogers. Earlier this year, Sun Life Financial (SLF) named Natale to its board of directors.
None of Natale's claims have been proven in court.
Rogers’ stock has declined 9% in the past 12 months to trade at $53.55 per share. The company’s share price is down 21% over the last five years.
