Tesco director settles over BoI interview leak

ONE of Ireland’s top PR executives yesterday told the High Court of his outrage and anger that information was leaked to a number of Sunday newspapers that he was in talks with Bank of Ireland (BoI) for the post of group head of corporate communications.

Dermot Breen, who was at the time and still remains director of corporate affairs and communications with Tesco, claimed the holder of the bank post at the time, David Holden, leaked the information to one newspaper.

After the plaintiff’s case was heard by Mr Justice John Edwards at a sitting of the High Court in Limerick, Stephen Lanagan O’Keefe SC, for Mr Breen, said his client’s case against the bank for breach of confidentiality had been settled.

As part of the settlement, BoI acknowledged the distress caused to Mr Breen by the publication of his name, and Mr Breen accepted that his name was published without prior knowledge or approval of the bank.

Any further details of the settlement were not disclosed.

In evidence, Mr Breen, of 12 Rockville Park, Blackrock, Co Dublin, said he joined Tesco in 1997 as director of corporate affairs and communication.

In 2003, he said he was on a remuneration package of €240,000 with Tesco and his work was very interesting and fulfilling.

In December 2003, he received a communication from Elizabeth Wallace of Amrop Hever Executive Search. Following this, she sent an email about a position with BoI.

Mr Breen said he told her he was not looking for a job as he was very happy with Tesco. However, she persuaded him to have a look at what the job entailed.

“I did it as nothing ventured nothing gained, provided it was on a confidential basis,” said Mr Breen.

He prepared a CV for the head of the recruitment company, Karl Croke, who told him he would meet with BoI personnel including the then chief execut- ive, Michael Soden (who resigned his position in 2004).

The following day Mr Croke rang to say he had set up a meeting at BoI.

Mr Breen met with a number of bank personnel, including the head of human resources. “It was more a chat than an interview. I was somewhat surprised as I thought it would be a serious interview.”

It lasted about 50 minutes. The next contact he had was from Mr Croke who told him the bank was terminating its discussions with him.

Mr Breen said the only person with whom he discussed his dealings with BoI was his wife.

Three days later, on December 12, 2003, he got a call from the Sunday Business Post about the job interview at BoI.

He got a second call from The Sunday Times.

He was outraged that this information had been leaked to journalists. He rang Mr Croke, who said the information did not come from his organisation.

Mr Breen said he was concerned about his career with Tesco. He forewarned the Tesco chief executive before the information was published on the Sunday.

He said: “I was very concerned how it would be interpreted by the people I work with. I was concerned that it would be interpreted as a lack of confidence in the future.”

He went for a walk on Dún Laoghaire pier to clear his head and try and cope with what had happened.

On checking the Sunday newspapers, he discovered that the Sunday Business Post and the Sunday Independent (which did not contact him) had stories about his interview for the BoI position.

In reply to Roddy Horan, SC, for BoI, Mr Breen said he was still with Tesco and a director of the company. He agreed that he represented Tesco on a recent RTÉ Prime Time programme and accompanied the chief executive at meetings of a joint Oireachtas committee that was looking into the grocery trade.

Mr Horan put it to Mr Breen that he was not damaged goods and his company still puts enormous trust in him.

Mr Breen said what had happened had been noted by Tesco. He said he felt as a result of what had happened, he would get less cooperation in his organisation and concern was expressed to him by colleagues.

To reassure the company, he worked even harder to show his commitment.

In further cross-examination, he said he had learnt that the source of the leak was David Holden, who was vacating the position of group head of corporate communications with BoI.

He got this information in 2004, but felt that what had occurred was an institutional responsibility and not that of any one individual.

Mr Breen said Mr Holden was one of the journalists’ sources about the interview.

Mr Horan: “There was no motive for Mr Holden to leak this information.”

Mr Breen: “I could not speculate on that.” Asked why he did not take any steps to protect himself by preventing publication of the information, Mr Breen said he did not deal in that way with newspapers.

Katryn Breen, the plaintiff’s wife, said her husband told her of the BoI interview and she had told nobody else.

Mr Croke, managing partner of Amrop Hever Executive Search, said he did not give out the information and he did not believe anybody in the organisation gave it out.

Before the defence was due to start, the court heard of the agreed settlement.