A former executive of IT consultancy Capgemini is suing the firm for almost $1 million over unlawful dismissal after she was sacked for criticising the firm’s business decisions and her chief executive told her she needed to be “more Machiavellian” and do whatever was necessary to win.
Capgemini Invent’s former chief sales officer, Julie Raoux, alleges in the Federal Circuit Court she was unlawfully dismissed for complaining about her lack of pay rises despite positive performance ratings, firm failures to define key performance indicators and erosion of her sales duties.
Capgemini Invent former chief sales officer Julie Raoux has since joined KPMG as a partner.
The case reveals her boss Christian Kroll, CEO of management consultancy division Capgemini Invent, told her during a feedback round she should exhibit “less ‘emotional’ actions” and be “more Machiavellian … the ability to be manipulative and a drive to use whatever means necessary to win”.
That comment – admitted by the firm in its defence filed with the court this month – framed how Capgemini and Kroll later interacted with her, Raoux alleged, including its allegations that she did not support firm strategy.
Raoux, who was also head of the group’s design and innovation arm, was paid $450,000 a year with long-term incentives worth $650,000. She was terminated in December last year. At the time, the firm advised staff that she had “made the decision to pursue new opportunities”.
But according to Capgemini’s termination letter to Raoux, included in court documents, the firm sacked her over what it alleged was a breakdown in the working relationship following several months where she had been “consistently critical of business decisions after they had been adopted”.
It accused her of not supporting Kroll and said it was “not tenable for a senior leader” to continue with the business in such circumstances.
Capgemini Invent managing director Christian Kroll.
Raoux disputed the reasons in her statement of claim and alleged the firm, instead of addressing the merits of her complaints about employment entitlements, increasingly and incorrectly framed them as criticism of business operations or challenging “managerial prerogative”.
In particular, she alleged the firm had misconstrued her comment that the work situation was “unbearable” as meaning Kroll was unbearable to work with and then relied on that as a rationale for termination.
Raoux said she raised concerns with Capgemini global leaders about Invent’s governance, forecast accuracy, restructuring, alleged salary silence, retaliation and career-blocking. Her concerns were inseparable from her complaints about the impact they had on her role and pay, she alleged.
In their defence, the firm and human resources manager Maria Dimopoulos, who is an individual respondent, denied terminating Raoux for making employment complaints and alleged those were distinct from her criticism of leadership decisions and business operations.
Dimopoulos wrote to Raoux shortly before her dismissal that she had been told her ongoing criticism of the business was “not necessary or appropriate and must cease” and it was not feasible for a senior leader to “publicly” undermine strategy or her leader, according to court documents.
Dimopoulos also alleged Raoux said words to the effect that “it is unbearable for [Raoux] at this stage working for [Kroll]“.
Roaux was paid six months’ pay in lieu of notice but refused to accept a proposed deed that would have prevented from her making any adverse comment or launching legal action.
Raoux, who has since joined KPMG as its national Salesforce leader, is seeking $919,400 in economic loss, including long-term incentives she forfeited as a result of the termination.
Unrepresented, she is currently seeking orders for Capgemini to produce documents surrounding her termination decision ahead of mediation. A directions hearing is scheduled for Friday.
A Capgemini spokesman declined to comment while the matter was before the courts. Raoux did not respond to requests for comment.
Find out the inside scoop about Accenture, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC and McKinsey. Sign up to our weekly Professional Life newsletter.
