More than a month after announcing an investigation into the behavior of former CEO Scott Solombrino, the Global Business Travel Association on Monday said it found “no misconduct or legal wrongdoing on his part.”
According to the early morning Monday statement, interim executive director Dave Hilfman said, “We thank Scott for his 25 years of service to GBTA and his passion and commitment to advancing the travel industry. We wish Scott success in his future endeavors.”
According to the statement, “Solombrino and the GBTA board agreed that it was time for him to pursue other opportunities.”
GBTA said the investigation was conducted by a third party, the law firm Polsinelli. That GBTA has used Polsinelli as legal counsel for years caused some, including employees, to question its independence.
Employment law attorney Karen Kramer is president of the Association of Workplace Investigators. AWI stresses the importance of impartiality and confidentiality in workplace investigations but, according to Kramer, it’s rarely clear-cut.
“There’s no easy answer, there’s no right or wrong and it depends,” she said during a phone interview last month. “I can say that, typically, you do not see outside counsel who was in an advocacy role for the employer conducting an impartial workplace investigation because of a) perception and b) conflict of interest.”
The controversy went public after whistleblowers on June 12 sent a message (later published by Business Travel News) to reporters containing serious allegations about Solombrino’s behavior, including “racist, divisive and derogatory comments.” They had originally sent the message to GBTA’s board on June 8, a day after Solombrino’s harsh email to employees, which The Company Dime validated and published on June 15. Three days after Solombrino issued to the industry a statement of apology, GBTA put him on administrative leave.
Meanwhile, GBTA last week said it hired MCI USA to conduct a “360-degree organizational and operations audit designed to reset the association.”
According to Hilfman, “We’ve retained them to look at every aspect of what we do, from the role of the board to operations, staffing and human resources, IT, event management and marketing. Our goal is to emerge from the pandemic in the best possible position to serve our members as the leading voice of the global business travel industry.”
Disclosure: The Company Dime in recent years has conducted business with membership associations, including the American Society of Travel Advisors, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives, the International Air Transport Association and some of GBTA’s chapters. These are potential conflicts of interest which the reader should consider as part of their understanding of this article.
Related
• Could Board Vacancies Lead To A More Global GBTA?
• Corporate Travel, Science And Faith: GBTA CEO Scott Solombrino And President Bhart Sarin In Their Own Words
• Could Board Vacancies Lead To A More Global GBTA?
• American Airlines Condemns Alleged Solombrino Behavior; Boeing’s GBTA Board Member Resigns
• Another GBTA Board Member Resigns
• CWT Ends GBTA Relationship
Several examples of Mr. Solombrino’s conduct can be easily found on the internet, and are indisputable. Given this outcome, I can no longer (in good conscience) support GBTA.
This is what you call — avoid extended litigation and let him leave with his reputation unvarnished — to prevent further potential litigation. It would have been much better for the future of GBTA if GBTA had hired an independent third party to conduct this review. One which had no previous contact with the organization, much less Scott. This was a mistake. It also would have been better if they had issued a more detailed response. To say that there was nothing found that was objectionable about his conduct simply begs for resigned skepticism. We all know better. This decision is, while not unexpected, quite disappointing.
Amen Holly! I am, for lack of a better word, gobsmacked.
The board may be legally restricted as to what they can and cannot say. When something involves employment/contracts, there are strict rules that pertain to disclosing confidential information; hence the reason for the board’s generic statement. The fact that Scott and GBTA have parted ways should be a sufficient resolution to this unfortunate mess.
If the board accepts this conclusion, then I’ll repeat what we’ve all been saying in various forums — the issues run deeper than Scott. Time to have the membership force an independent third-party review of the board, its practices and bylaws.
I’d help you Sheila but I gave up on them years ago. If you look, you’ll see that there are no less than three former chapter presidents commenting on the absurdity-as-usual, smoke-and-mirrors gambit. If I were still a member, I’d start a petition…
Hi Sheila: I had added to my comment, but I did not save it in time. You have a right to remove directors, under the bylaws,
Section 2.15 Removal; Resignation. A Voting Member may be removed, with or without cause, upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the Direct Members. In addition, a Voting Member may voluntarily cease to be a Voting Member by notifying the Board, pursuant to written notice to the President, of his or her resignation.
Since they appear to have not made any provisions for other removal methods, I guess NY State Law would prevail.
(a) Except as limited in paragraph (c), any or all of the directors may be removed for cause by vote of the members, or by vote of the directors provided there is a quorum of not less than a majority present at the meeting of directors at which such action is taken.
(b) Except as limited in paragraph (c), if the certificate of incorporation or the by-laws so provide, any or all of the directors may be removed without cause by vote of the members.
(c) The removal of directors, with or without cause, as provided in paragraphs (a) and (b) is subject to the following:
(1) In the case of a corporation having cumulative voting, no director may be removed when the votes cast against his removal would be sufficient to elect him if voted cumulatively at an election at which the same total number of votes were cast and the entire board, or the entire class of directors of which he is a member, were then being elected; and
(2) When by the provisions of the certificate of incorporation or the by-laws the members of any class or group, or the holders of bonds, voting as a class, are entitled to elect one or more directors, any director so elected may be removed only by the applicable vote of the members of that class or group, or the holders of such bonds, voting as a class.
(d) An action to procure a judgment removing a director for cause may be brought by the attorney-general or by ten percent of the members whether or not entitled to vote. The court may bar from re-election any director so removed for a period fixed by the court.
Sheila, I agree there is more than meets the eye here. It’s obvious GBTA wanted to avoid any expensive and extended litigation with Scott but to say “no misconduct” is ridiculous. Sounds like a soap opera and Scott has damaging material he could air. We need a clean slate to go forward.
As the former VP of HR for GBTA, I will say that I am shocked and appalled at this result. I resigned my position at GBTA as a result of Mr. Solombrino’s appointment and his racist and misogynistic conduct, which I witnessed in person. Having been a trial attorney earlier in my career, I know plaintiffs can establish a harassing workplace with far less evidence. Shame on the GBTA board and on Polsinelli for this sham.