Rogers CEO Joe Natale learned of Edward Rogers’s plan to oust him through butt-dial from CFO

By Alexandra Posadzki

Rogers Communications Inc.’s chief financial officer, Tony Staffieri, accidentally phoned the telecom’s CEO, Joe Natale, while he was discussing plans to unseat Mr. Natale and other executives with the support of company chair Edward Rogers, according to two sources.

Mr. Staffieri was speaking with former long-time Rogers chief legal officer David Miller about the plan when he inadvertently dialled Mr. Natale’s number, according to two people familiar with the fallout from the matter. The Globe is not identifying the individuals because they are not authorized to speak publicly about it.

After learning of the plan, which included removing nine other senior executives, Mr. Natale informed an independent director, triggering an emergency weekend board meeting. The majority of the board and Rogers family backed Mr. Natale and his management team. Mr. Staffieri left the company three days later.

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Published by the Globe and Mail.