AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes apologises after Thai CEO hurls F-bomb at female colleague in online meeting

[webfact]

Tony Fernandes said he called the female employee shortly after the meeting to apologise for Bijleveld’s conduct. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

 

BY TAN MEI ZI

 

AirAsia Group boss Tan Sri Tony Fernandes has apologised for the behaviour of the airline’s Thailand chief executive officer (CEO) Tassapon Bijleveld during a virtual town hall meeting.

 

Bijleveld was heavily criticised on social media after a clip of him dropping the F-bomb and telling a female colleague to “shut up” circulated online over the weekend.

 

Fernandes and AirAsia Digital president Aireen Omar were also present during the meeting, but did not call out Bijleveld’s behaviour at the time.

 

-- © Copyright Malay Mail 2021-07-29

 

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[Somtamnication]

Apologizes after the event? He did not do it at the time? Pathetic!

[bkk6060]

Fire him!

[ThailandRyan]

17 minutes ago, bkk6060 said:

Fire him!

What he said and also take away his pension plan.

[Gsxrnz]

Would it be an issue if he had said the same to a male? Doubt it.  Woman want equity until or unless the equity offends them.

 

A true feminist would not be happy until the workplace death rates of females is 50/50 and not 99/1. That won't be happening any time soon.

[OneMoreFarang]

I watched that video and it seems she talks and talks and talks and it all doesn't make sense. It's not surprising that someone tells her to get to the point. 

And maybe she did this several times or for even longer than the video.

Yes, the guy should not have used the f-word. 

But she should come to the f$#$# point and not waste everybody's time.

[Gsxrnz]

17 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I watched that video and it seems she talks and talks and talks and it all doesn't make sense. It's not surprising that someone tells her to get to the point. 

And maybe she did this several times or for even longer than the video.

Yes, the guy should not have used the f-word. 

But she should come to the f$#$# point and not waste everybody's time.

Well said. 

 

Your most powerful counterparts on company boards of directors are usually the ones that say the least, be they male or female. But when they do speak, you listen to them. 

 

As the old adage goes, "better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and (potentially) remove all possible doubt". 

 

EDIT:  Further, any company management team that have a prime objective of not causing offence to each other are doomed to failure.  It seems nowadays that virtue-signalling is more important than core business and the ROI to shareholders. 

 

[wensiensheng]

32 minutes ago, Gsxrnz said:

Would it be an issue if he had said the same to a male? Doubt it.  Woman want equity until or unless the equity offends them.

 

A true feminist would not be happy until the workplace death rates of females is 50/50 and not 99/1. That won't be happening any time soon.

He shouldn’t have spoken like that to male or female employee. He only did so because he holds a bigger title. Would he have accepted someone talking to him in that manner?
 

if she (or a he) is waffling without getting to the point, there are far better ways to resolve the situation than talking to an employee in that manner. I don’t see it as a male/female issue, but as a management/employee issue.
 

 

[dinsdale]

32 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I watched that video and it seems she talks and talks and talks and it all doesn't make sense. It's not surprising that someone tells her to get to the point. 

And maybe she did this several times or for even longer than the video.

Yes, the guy should not have used the f-word. 

But she should come to the f$#$# point and not waste everybody's time.

Any link?

[mtls2005]

Fire the Tosser, now.

 

Apologizing to the victim is useless.

 

 

OK, I guess he can't be fired.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mtls2005]

21 minutes ago, Gsxrnz said:

As the old adage goes, "better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and (potentially) remove all possible doubt". 

 

And you went and ignored your own advice.

 

Well done, Sir.

 

 

[realfunster]

 

I've watched the video and aside from the somewhat unpleasant outburst he comes across as a fairly typical arrogant Thai CEO/owner, who thinks he knows it all and operates in an autocratic and hierarchical manner. I wonder if that creates an effective and efficient management culture at Thai AirAsia. 

 

Anyhow, I doubt much will come of this, as he is a major shareholder in the Thai company...

[realfunster]

6 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Any link?

 

 

[CrunchWrapSupreme]

Typical hi-so attitude toward the peasants.

 

Same as the historical dramas on Channel 3, where when the servants get out of line, they tie them to a post and whip them for like five minutes, crying and screaming, as the dramatic music plays.

 

Why? I seriously believe a good portion of them yearn for those good ol' days again.

[Caldera]

It's just a facet of Thainess. The elites are as rude to their underlings as they can. Reinforced on a daily basis by Thai soap operas. Embarrassing when foreigners get to see and comment on it.

[JonnyF]

Fairly typical of senior staff in Thai corporations in my experience.

 

They tend to talk down to junior staff and think that everyone should hang on their every word. Often they are pretty clueless as well but since they are never questioned they talk nonsense with impunity.

[mtls2005]

1 minute ago, Caldera said:

Reinforced on a daily basis by Thai soap operas.

 

Queue the Isaan maid in blackface.

 

Clean up on aisle, well FD only flies single-aisle so, that one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[dinsdale]

12 minutes ago, realfunster said:

 

 

The whole thing is terrible. Very unprofessional all up. Typical really of this region.

[chilli42]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

I watched that video and it seems she talks and talks and talks and it all doesn't make sense. It's not surprising that someone tells her to get to the point. 

And maybe she did this several times or for even longer than the video.

Yes, the guy should not have used the f-word. 

But she should come to the f$#$# point and not waste everybody's time.

Using the f word shows contempt for others.  Showing contempt for employees (even if well deserved contempt) is not the kind of culture Management should be building.  Clearly this woman needed to be disciplined/coached but there are many ways of doing this effectively that don’t involve showing contempt.  That said many famous leaders (Jobs, Gates etc) did not suffer fools and made that abundantly clear by holding back nothing.

[RJRS1301]

1 hour ago, Gsxrnz said:

Would it be an issue if he had said the same to a male? Doubt it.  Woman want equity until or unless the equity offends them.

 

A true feminist would not be happy until the workplace death rates of females is 50/50 and not 99/1. That won't be happening any time soon.

I think the behaviour towards whichever gender, would been seen as at the very least, in breach of a code of conduct, in most civilised work places, if not down right bullying and abuse of power.

The power imbalance from CEO towards subordinates is not carte blanch to abuse and use unacceptable workplace language.

The smiling faces and laughter of the other employees is also indicative of the poor workplace culture of the airline. 

   

[OneMoreFarang]

50 minutes ago, realfunster said:

 

 

Tanya is great! She looks beautiful and she doesn't talk too much. Perfect!

[ncc1701d]

yeah whatever. 

 

Tanya is hot.

[OneMoreFarang]

How much of this is American influence?

It seems many Americans use that f-words all the time. If anybody talks a lot to (some) Americans then it doesn't take long before that f-word becomes totally normal.

 

[hotchilli]

1 hour ago, Gsxrnz said:

Would it be an issue if he had said the same to a male? Doubt it.  Woman want equity until or unless the equity offends them.

 

A true feminist would not be happy until the workplace death rates of females is 50/50 and not 99/1. That won't be happening any time soon.

If a boss uses the "F" word during a meeting then he is out of control.

As a boss he should have the communication skills and vocabulary required for any situation.

Swearing is not required, regardless of who to or gender.

[tonray]

Maybe Tony can pay me back my 3500 baht for cancelled flights and show real integrity first..instead of just pilfering from thousands. BTW...I understand he's still rich

[Andycoops]

Clearly been in Thailand too long and has adopted the superior, I am older than you Thai attitude to employees.

[LomSak27]

He could have done a better job to cut her off and redirect conversation.  

 

32 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

It seems many Americans use that f-words all the time. If anybody talks a lot to (some) Americans then it doesn't take long before that f-word becomes totally normal.

Conversely, if you work with Brits & Aussies, many use the C-word, and soon it becomes totally normal. According to friends of course.

[Cake Monster]

Thai male ego again

" Dont you know who I am ? "

We all do now you Egotistical, Infantile T###

[SomchaiCNX]

3 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Apologizes after the event? He did not do it at the time? Pathetic!

THey want to be equal but cry when they here the F... word that's what I call pathetic.

[mtls2005]

2 minutes ago, SomchaiCNX said:

THey want to be equal but cry when they here the F... word that's what I call pathetic.

 

When I read posts like this - and these are not unique in this forum re: social, gender, racial, equality, reality issues, given the demographics of members here - I sometimes feel like I fell asleep and woke up in the '50's.

 

The 1850's.