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Five years after leaving Australia Post, ex-CEO Christine Holgate holds no regrets about gifting $20,000 worth of Cartier watches to four executives who guided the company through COVID-19, despite losing her job over it.
”I guess it feels like you’ve been run over and not just run over,” Holgate told me in a revealing interview on The Pay Off podcast.
“You’ve been reversed over again.
“So was I disappointed in him? Yes, I was.
“I don’t think you totally do (get over that disappointment) because it’s like a car crash, but do you learn from it?
“I think yes, I have learned a lot from it. You learn a lot about leadership and the type of leadership you want to be.
”à do not regret for one moment recognising the contribution from those people.Â
“The irony is I could have given them $150,000 each and not have to ask anyone for permission.”
Holgate, cleared by an inquiry and compensated for her departure situation, criticized former Prime Minister Scott Morrison for stating in parliament she should step down if unwilling to stand aside.
Currently the group executive chairman of Team Global Express, Holgate believes Morrison owes an apology to Australia Post employees for the brand damage she claims he caused.
“It was irresponsible, and it was wrong.
“He put a black shadow over their brand, which is an outstanding organisation and does an enormous amount of good.
“He needs to apologize to all the owners of post office franchises and the workforce he put through a challenging period just as we were entering peak season.”
“It was the same week robodebt had come out and another issue was going to come the next day.
“It was a massive distraction. So clearly, hanging me instead saved his own neck for a period of time.”
Holgate regrets accepting a salary less than half of her male predecessors’ when she accepted the CEO role at Australia Post, although she joined logistics firm Team Global Express in 2021.
”I didn’t push back on it,” she said.
“In fact, it was a lot less than half the pay. Maybe it was half the base pay.
“And at the time, I took a 40 per cent pay cut to go and do the job.Â
“I kind of regret thatâ¦. because it probably wasn’t a great role model thing to do for other women.
“So if any other women are listening to this, please, can you not make the same mistake.”
Leading a company employing up to 10,000 people, Holgate credits her leadership philosophy to her teenage years in London when she left home with nowhere to go.
”I found myself in Euston station, sitting on the floor with no home and no job. And probably not many prospects either.
“And it really taught me about the importance of pride of work, but also when you have no money, how you get disadvantaged on so many different levels and how hard it is to take it from there to go forward.”
The Pay Off interview with Christine Holgate releases tomorrow.
