Edward Rogers seeks to replace five directors at Rogers Communications

TORONTO –

Edward Rogers, chair of the family trust that controls Rogers Communications, moved to oust five members of the board of directors in an escalation of a boardroom fight that saw him replaced as chair of the wireless and cable company.

As chair of the Rogers Control Trust, Edward Rogers said in a statement that he was disappointed with recent events and commentary regarding the governance of the company and has lost confidence in the Rogers board as currently constituted.

Edward Rogers was replaced as chair of Rogers on Thursday after media reports that he tried but failed to put former chief financial officer Tony Staffieri into the role of CEO and replace other members of the leadership team.

The plan to replace Rogers CEO Joe Natale was blocked by other members of the board, including Rogers’ sisters and mother, multiple reports say.

Edward Rogers wants to remove John Clappison, David Peterson, Bonnie Brooks, Ellis Jacob and John MacDonald, who was named chair on Thursday, from the company’s board of directors.

He has named Michael Cooper, Jack Cockwell, Jan Innes, Ivan Fecan and John Kerr as the new directors.

In response, Rogers said in a statement that it was concerned that the trust would seek to make a fundamental change in such an unusual way.

It added that it had not yet received any documentation from Edward Rogers or the trust regarding the board member changes and that it would consult with its counsel if and when that happened.

Edward Rogers chairs the Rogers Control Trust, which controls Rogers through its class A voting shares, while the trust also includes other family members and an advisory committee.

The control trust chair acts as the representative of the controlling shareholder and votes the class A voting shares.

The vice-chair, Melinda Rogers-Hixon, assists the chair and both are accountable to the advisory committee.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 22, 2021.