Seven West Media ‘backs CEO’ as it launches independent inquiry into affair

SEVEN West Media boss Tim Worner has sent an email to staff after his alleged affair with former employee Amber Harrison.

An inquiry will seek answers for shareholders over Seven CEO Tim Worner’s affair with former employee Amber Harrison. Picture: David Geraghty/The Australian

CHANNEL Seven’s CEO Tim Worner has sent an apology email to staff for the “unwelcome attention” after his scandalous affair with an executive assistant was made public.

The email, which CC’d chairman of the Seven Network, Kerry Stokes, revealed Mr Worner plans to stay with the company, despite former Seven employee Amber Harrison sharing explicit details of the inappropriate consensual sexual relationship.

“Without reservation, I apologise to you all,” Mr Worner wrote, before signing off with “onwards”.

“What I did was wrong. What I did is certainly not a reflection of the standards of the Shareholders, the Chairman, the Board, or any of you.

“You are entitled to, and I hope expect, better decisions from me.”

In the email, seen by news.com.au, Mr Worner said the allegations made against him are “factually incorrect but guess what, that doesn’t matter anymore”.

“The one thing I am not doing is making any excuses.

“I obviously regret it and most of all I regret the unwelcome attention it has brought to the company and my family.

“None of you deserve that. Not one of you.

“Your achievements this year, and there are many, should not be tainted and overshadowed by this.”

Seven West Media CEO Tim Worner spotted getting coffee in Manly.

In a detailed statement sent to the media, Ms Harrison shared a comprehensive timeline of the dalliance between the married executive and administrative worker, and the spiral of depression it sent her down.

The CEO’s mistress said she began to struggle with the relationship and was made to feel “invisible” when Mr Worner ignored her at work, but happily visited her for sex.

“We cannot allow what you have all had to put up with this week, because of my mistake, to be what defines our values,” Mr worner’s email read.

“And I fervently believe it isn’t.

“I am in no way sharing the blame here, but I do want to say that, like everything, elements of our culture can be improved and we will focus on absolutely confirming we have a safe and ethical workplace.

“I will learn from my situation to help make this a better company. That is my commitment to you.”

Amber Harrison, the woman who was in a relationship with Seven boss Tim Worner.

The email came mere hours after Seven West Media announced an internal inquiry into Mr Worner’s affair amid allegations of drug use that have surfaced since his former mistress went public with explicit details of the “inappropriate” relationship.

News.com.au understands the inquiry will look into verifying that there has been no misuse of company funds or breaches of the law at company functions.

The probe was announced in a statement to the ASX this morning, in which the media giants board also declared it backed its embattled CEO.

“The Board of Seven West Media Limited (SWM) takes allegations being published in relation to its CEO very seriously and has met on four occasions this week to consider the unfolding issues being raised,” the statement said.

“The Board continues to support the CEO, and the processes and decisions made based on the information at the time Ms Amber Harrison’s credit card misuse, and subsequently the existence of her relationship with the CEO, was brought to the attention of the company two years ago.”

Ms Harrison addressed the investigation to misuse of her credit card in a statement sent to media on Sunday night saying she refused to resign over the issue, and later repaid $14,000 of credit card debt “after successfully proving her Visa card was regularly used by others” to pay for various corporate events, travel, gifts and lunches.

Amber Harrison. Picture: Supplied

Seven’s share price dropped when Ms Harrison went public with her account of the pair’s two-year affair on Monday.

Her shocking initial statement included sexually explicit text messages between the lovers and provided a detailed timeline of the relationship which she believes brought her career at Seven to an end.

Her decision to speak out came after years of “complex” severance negotiations failed to deliver a $350,000 pay out she believed to be entitled to following her 2014 redundancy.

Ms Harrison has also detailed how the affair allegedly led her to suffer an emotional breakdown and affected her mental health and ability to work.

Mr Worner has also been accused of other affairs with women within the network in documents relating to a failed complaint brought to the Human Rights Commission by Ms Harrison. Seven has denied these additional affairs.

Seven has so far neglected to address allegations of drug-use detailed in Ms Harrison’s statements, and suggestions he may have use shareholder funds to maintain the affair.

In its statement to shareholders, Seven said its board had commissioned a “comprehensive report” into Ms Harrison’s corporate credit card misuse, which led to her termination. The company has maintained the affair was not the reason for Ms Harrison’s redundancy.

“It was this report that led to Ms Harrison’s termination and settlement agreement being reached by the parties,” the statement read.

“However, to allay any concerned that our shareholders may have the board has determined it prudent to commission a further independent inquiry to establish all of the facts so as to confirm that all necessary matters have been and were taken in to account.”

Seven said its board would appoint an “appropriate independent expert” to lead the inquiry.