Myer liar faces court on fraud charges

The US-born executive fired from Myer over lying on his CV has today faced the Melbourne Magistrate’s Court on one charge of fraud.

Fairfax reports Andrew Flanagan appeared in court for a filing hearing on one charge of obtaining a financial advantage by deception on June 6, 12 days before he was announced as the group general manager of strategy and business development at Myer.

Flanagan did not even last one day in the role, after it was revealed he misled the retailer and recruitment agency Quest Personnel about his work experience, including a claim he spent time as managing director and vice-president of Inditex, the Spanish parent company of popular fashion retailer Zara.

But the department stores was not the only organisation to be duped in this high-profile case of reference checks gone wrong, with Flanagan also working briefly for Specialty Fashion Group, the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and recruitment firm Carmichael Fisher, among others.

And not only had Flanagan misled multiple organisations, reports in June suggested he may have done so under multiple names.

Lorraine Tribe, managing director of Quest Personnel, told SmartCompany in a statement in June her agency had contacted the police in relation to Flanagan, who she said provided Quest Personnel with “incorrect and misleading information”.

Fairfax reports Flanagan is accused of “using a resume and providing verbal employment history and references falsely stating he had held a number of senior executive positions”.

Flanagan was released on bail on the condition he lives permanently at an address in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Waverley. He is scheduled to appear before the court for a committal mention on October 20.

SmartCompany contacted Flanagan’s lawyers, Doogue O’Brien George, but no one was available to comment.

A spokesperson for Victoria Police told SmartCompany the police are unable to comment on matters currently before the courts.