Andre Maeder, the chief executive of Selfridges, has denied knowing about Mohamed Al Fayed’s alleged sexual assaults and rapes during the six years he worked at Harrods.
He said he was “horrified” to watch the documentary about Fayed broadcast by the BBC last week, “but never saw or heard anything” about this “abhorrent” behaviour.
The Swiss national joined Harrods in 1995 and was appointed to the board as chief retail and merchandising officer in 1996. He left in 2002.
He is one of a number of former directors of Harrods under Fayed who have senior roles in business today.
The BBC has heard testimony from more than 20 female ex-employees of Harrods who say the billionaire, who died last year aged 94, sexually assaulted or raped them. Dozens more women have been in touch since the programme aired.
Mr Maeder said in a statement: “I was horrified watching the recent BBC documentary, and am truly shocked by the very serious and appalling allegations.
He said he “never saw or heard anything which suggested this abhorrent behaviour was going on. My thoughts are very much with the victims.”
The Selfridges Group, best known for its famous store on London’s Oxford Street, also owns two shops in Manchester, one in Birmingham, and chains of stores in the Netherlands and Ireland.
It is owned by the Bangkok-based Central Group, which acquired it in 2021 in a deal worth £4bn.
Mr Maeder is also president of the world department store trade association, the IDSG. Before joining Selfridges he was chief executive of the German department store chain KaDeWe, which is now also owned by Central Group.