TNT in court, accuses former CEO of breaking competition clause

Express package company TNT Express is taking legal action against its former chief executive Marie-Christine Lombard in an effort to stop her working for a competitor, the Financieele Dagblad reports.


Since November 1, Lombard has been working for French firm Geodis, the logistics company owned by French railway firm SNCF. She left TNT Express at the end of September.
Earlier this week, TNT went to court in Haarlem an effort to take out an injunction against Lombard, the Financieele Dagblad says.
Competitors
‘Geodis is one of our competitors because it is also involved in express deliveries,’ a TNT spokesman told the paper. ‘Lombard has expertise, experience and a network. That is a serious consideration for us.’
TNT asked the court to force Lombard to stop working and to pay a fine for infringing the competition clause in her contract. The Haarlem court ruled against TNT, saying the issue should be dealt with in the French courts.
The spokesman said TNT would pursue the issue legally ‘in the interests of the company’.
Contract
Lombard’s contract included a 12-month ban on working for the competition and required her to get clearance from TNT’s supervisory board before taking up a new job. The week after she left, supervisory board chairman Antony Burgmans said she had broken the terms of her contract by leaving.
Lombard left TNT Express at the end of September saying her role at the company was over. TNT Express is in the process of being taken over by US company UPS but the deal has run into difficulties with the European Commission over competition.
Earlier stories
TNT boss is unethical to quit, says supervisory board chairman
TNT Express chairwoman resigns

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