A former senior executive taking a claim of unfair dismissal against US drinks company Monster Energy Ltd has claimed the company routes its invoicing from Europe, the Middle East and Africa through its Dublin office “like Google and Apple”.
Barry Redmond (49) from Naas, Co Kildare, also told an Employment Appeals Tribunal Ireland was viewed as "a golden goose" for energy drinks firms because of the high consumption of soft drinks here.
Monster was initially charging 30 cent more here for its drinks than its competitor Red Bull, though in other countries the price was the same. Ireland was seen as an opportunity for “more profit-taking”, Mr Redmond said. It had since changed the price.
Mr Redmond was employed as the country sales manager for Ireland with Monster in September 2008, but was given redundancy in January 2011 after the company decided to amalgamate with the UK operation.
Mr Redmond, who had been earning €80,000 a year plus a €9,000 car allowance and stock options, claimed he had been unfairly dismissed as his role had since been filled.
The firm said his position was not filled and his redundancy was necessary because the business in Ireland at the time was not viable. Monster Energy Ltd sells a range of high-energy drinks and employs fewer than 10 people in Ireland.
Outlining the culture of the company, Mr Redmond said the approach was tough, aggressive, bullish and fast-moving. He said he was proud of the work he did for the company, which was now the fourth largest-selling energy drink in the Republic. The finance office in Dublin operated separately from his department.
All of the invoicing from Europe, the Middle East and Africa “is all routed through the Dublin office”, he claimed, “like Apple and Google”.
He told the tribunal he presented his business plan for the year in London on January 12th, 2011, and went back to Dublin. He got a call the following day telling him a flight had been booked for him to return to London on January 14th. At the meeting, he was told costs were too high in Ireland and he offered to take a salary cut.
“I had two young children,” he said. “I was going to do whatever I had to do to hold on to my job.” He said that in hindsight he was “clearly ambushed”.
A further meeting was set for January 20th in Dublin following what was called a consultation period. Asked why he did not contact his line manager Peter Oden during this period, Mr Redmond said Mr Oden was at a sales conference in Chamonix ski resort in the French Alps, a four-day event including activities and flights for “50 or 60 people”.
He was not going to discuss his livelihood on the telephone with someone “halfway up a mountain”, Mr Redmond said.
At the January 20th meeting, Mr Redmond said he suggested alternatives to redundancy but Mr Oden said the consultation period was over and gave him a letter about his redundancy.
Mr Oden said the Irish business was “essentially non-viable” and a decision was made to amalgamate with the UK. He said he gave Mr Redmond an opportunity to come up with suggestions to stay with the firm and would have flown back from Chamonix if he had made any.
Human resources services manager Kevin Ball said he knew nothing about an advertisement for a sales manager position in Ireland allegedly posted shortly after Mr Redmond left his position. But, he said, Monster sometimes interviewed for roles the company did not really have any intention of filling unless they found “a star”. The case was adjourned to October.
