A female employee of Shangri-La has resigned in protest, citing harassment, racist behavior, and deeply troubling remarks made by senior leadership. According to two emails obtained from a whistleblower who is close to the complainant, it was noted that Koteswar Rao, a finance manager, verbally assaulted the female employee, using derogatory language, while the hotel's General Manager, Andreas Streiber, is accused of fostering a toxic, racist, and sexist culture that demeans Indian employees.
The whistleblower's resignation letter details a series of harrowing experiences that led to her decision. In one incident, Koteshwar Rao reportedly yelled, "You f*****g lady have an excuse for everything," during a work discussion, which left the employee distressed and demoralized.
More disturbingly, Andreas Streiber's actions extend beyond workplace conflicts. The General Manager is accused of making deeply offensive and racist statements about India, its people, and even its leadership. His statements include, "Indians sell their daughters," "Indians are dirty," and "Indians don't know how to eat." The whistleblower described how these remarks worsened her mental and emotional well-being over time.
Streiber allegedly praises authoritarian regimes, especially China, while ridiculing India's democracy. The employee's emotional letter highlights Streiber's comparison of India to China, describing it as an insult to India's democratic values. "My family has sacrificed for this country," the whistleblower wrote in the email to us, a copy of which is available, expressing disgust at Streiber's glorification of autocratic regimes.
The whistleblower has asked that her identity remain confidential for now, declining to comment further as they expect the complainant to follow due process through legal channels. Shangri-La's senior management has been asked for their comments.
Our reporter in India spoke to the HR Director of Shangri-la Bengaluru Satish Kumar who summarily denied any existence of such a resignation and email from the employee and said previous complaints against Andreas Streiber have been disposed off. He did not respond to the verbal abuse by finance director Koteshwar Rao and that he has no information about the incident. It is pertinent to note that the Human Resources department lead chose to deny instead of acknowledging the facts.
The emails leak raise serious concerns about the treatment of women, Indian employees, and the culture at Shangri-La in Bengaluru. The complainant shared with the whistleblower that she loved Shangri-la as a brand and the culture that the global management sought to build, but Bengaluru's leadership has left her aghast. These revelations cast a long shadow on what is otherwise known as a prestigious global brand, forcing the organization to confront its troubling internal culture.
