The president of Shaw Communications Inc. is dismissing reports the company’s ex-CEO lashed out at investors during a farewell lunch last week.
Sources quoted in media reports say Jim Shaw behaved badly at the meeting in Vancouver.
The Globe and Mail reported sources saying Shaw responded to investors’ questions with overly harsh criticism and asked inappropriate questions of portfolio managers.
Shaw was to leave the Calgary-based cable and Internet giant in January, but the firm announced Wednesday he would hand control to his younger brother Brad Shaw immediately.
Company president Peter Bissonnette, who was at the Vancouver meeting, said the reports about Jim Shaw’s belligerent behaviour are just “rumour.”
He said the former CEO has always been known to be “a little feisty,” and those who were at the meeting were being “feisty back.”
Bissonnette said Brad Shaw is taking over early so the company can get on with integrating the broadcasting assets it bought from Canwest Global Communications earlier this year.
