The Bachelor banking beauty who sparked an office war

BANKING staff were “p***ed off” when they found out their colleague was granted extended personal leave to find love on The Bachelor.

WHEN reality stardom and office politics collide, the results can be awkward — as one Bachelorette discovered after returning to work.

A frosty atmosphere is understood to have greeted 31-year-old banker Ebru Dallikavak when she arrived back from filming The Bachelor.

So fraught were colleague relations at the Westpac Melbourne corporate office, management issued a ban on discussing the show, news.com.au has been told.

It seems the Prada handbag-toting portfolio manager, who introduces herself to Bachelor Sam Wood by teasing “I’m here to be your Turkish delight”, unwittingly sparked a HR storm by taking an extended leave of absence after less than six months with Westpac.

An insider said overstretched colleagues deeply resented the company’s approval of Ms Dallikavak’s leave, which was initially unexplained.

“Everyone was thinking ‘oh no, something bad must have happened’. Then they had to tell us ‘actually, she’s filming a reality show’. We couldn’t believe it,” the source said.

“Then she comes back to work and people have been working back ‘til 7 o’clock to cover her work, and they’re p*****.”

Ms Dallikavak reportedly shook off a colleague’s suggestion that she “try to be a bit low key” while the dust settled.

“At the end of the day, it’s not her fault, because management’s let her go. But people don’t like it.”

Some colleagues expressed concern that the Westpac brand would be associated with “a show that’s objectifying women”.

“It’s disgraceful,” a staff member told news.com.au

“I’m here to be your Turkish delight,” banker Ebru Dallikavak tells The Bachelor.

Ms Dallikavak was known around the office for her gum chewing, extreme dieting and attention to her physical appearance.

In the show’s official press pack, she names her greatest asset as “my body, because I work so hard to maintain it”, while also counting her career achievements as her “biggest triumph”.

“I am very proud of what I have achieved career wise and I am also proud of the person I have become today,” Ms Dallikavak said.

She stated that her goal on the show was “to find a committed partner who is dedicated to me in a long-term relationship” and was described as an intelligent, stylish career woman with a passion for health and fitness, who “radiates a strong energy and inner confidence”.

“Following her split with her fiance two years ago, Ebru is applying her determined nature to her search for a new love.”

In an introductory video, Ms Dallikavak discussed her career and romantic aspirations.

“My name is Ebru, I’m a portfolio manager for one of the big four Australian banks. I’m from Melbourne, and I’m here to fall in love,” she said.

“Being a portfolio manager is quite full on ... I’ve been in the industry for seven years. I’d definitely say I’m strongly focused on my career and I do love what I do — but my love life is suffering a bit. I’ve got a lot of friends that do have partners in the same industry, but I tend not to mix business with pleasure.”

Not just pretty faces: The Bachelor’s new cast has career women aplenty.

The banker is one of 14 women still vying for the affections of Tasmanian entrepreneur Sam Wood in the third Australian season of the franchise, after five contenders were voted out.

Aged between 24 and 34, the original 19 Bachelor contestants were drawn from a variety of professions, with Channel Ten spruiking the women as being far from just pretty faces.

Among their ranks are an advertising executive, a primary school teacher, a fertility nurse and a veterinary surgeon.

Westpac has a reputation for advancing women in the workplace, particularly under the stewardship of Gail Kelly, whose 13-year tenure as chief executive ended in February.

As the first female boss of a major Australian bank, Ms Kelly was at the forefront of efforts to smash the glass ceiling in this country and increase women’s participation in high-level corporate positions.

Her successor, Brian Hartzer recently introduced Westpac’s Equilibrium Program, which aims to achieve the bank’s target of placing 50 per cent women in management roles by 2017.

A Westpac spokeswoman said in a statement that the company “cannot comment on the personal circumstances of our employees due to privacy”.

“Westpac has a range of flexibility options for employees, including personal leave and career break,” the spokeswoman said.

“While we work to make sure all leave fits with the needs of the business and our customers, it is up to employees to chose how they use that leave.”

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