2 weeks Ago By Joe Gallop
A bombshell legal battle has erupted inside Super Retail Group, the $3 billion Australian retail giant behind brands including Rebel, Supercheap Auto, Macpac and BCF, with its former top legal executives alleging CEO Anthony Heraghty conducted a secret affair that fostered a toxic corporate culture, and led to their wrongful dismissal. Federal Court documents reveal that former chief legal officer Rebecca Farrell and former company secretary Amelia Berczelly are suing the company under the Fair Work Act, claiming their careers were destroyed after they raised concerns about an alleged undisclosed relationship between Heraghty and former HR chief Jane Kelly. The case has revealed claims that senior leadership, including Heraghty’s own wife, were aware of the affair as early as 2020.
The filings allege that Heraghty threatened Farrell and Berczelly during a mediation session in April 2024, reportedly saying via his legal representatives, “whistleblowers never fare well.” Among the explosive details revealed: In June 2023, Berczelly allegedly saw Heraghty and Kelly entering the Calile Hotel in Brisbane late at night, behaving “in a manner that was very suspicious and suggestive” of an intimate relationship. During an executive offsite in 2022, BCF managing director Paul Bradshaw allegedly witnessed Heraghty place his hand on Kelly’s thigh.
Heraghty’s executive assistant reportedly resigned after discovering incriminating messages on his phone and noting unusual transactions related to travel and accommodation. A whistleblower told Farrell in late 2023 that Kelly had been “getting away with” workplace bullying because of her relationship with the CEO. The court filings also suggest senior executives were fearful of raising complaints, with one staff member noting in an internal Pulse survey: “There is no safe space to speak up.
” Despite these allegations, Super Retail maintains it has investigated the claims with external advisors and found them unsubstantiated. “Super Retail Group will defend any court proceedings,” the company said in an earlier ASX statement. The company also recently won a court battle to suppress details of a proposed settlement offer made to Farrell and Berczelly, who were originally unnamed in ASX disclosures but were later revealed as the whistleblowers.
The matter is set to go to trial in February 2026, with potential damages estimated between $30 million and $50 million. Jane Kelly departed Super Retail in late 2023, and former board chair Sally Pitkin, also named in the lawsuit. resigned in October of that year.
As the case heads to court, questions loom about corporate governance at one of Australia’s most prominent retail empires and how far senior leaders went to protect their positions..
