"Calgary's golden boy, WestJet CEO Clive Beddoe, was the subject of many a Stampede conversation late last week following the news of Mark Hill's resignation from the company.

Mr. Hill, the former vice-president of strategic planning at WestJet, is named along with another WestJet employee in a lawsuit launched by Air Canada in April that alleges the pair engaged in a very sophisticated form of corporate espionage, accessing confidential information and using it to plan routes and optimize yields.

One of the questions asked over beef, beans and beer was whether Mr. Hill's resignation was an admission of guilt or whether it was offered up as a sacrificial lamb to save the company. Another was whether Mr. Beddoe knew of Mr. Hill's actions. If Mr. Beddoe didn't know anything, it's safe to ask what kind of handle he has on other members of his senior management team and whether there might be other things going on at WestJet that Mr. Beddoe doesn't know about. On the other hand, if Mr. Beddoe was aware of Mr. Hill's activities and didn't do anything until Air Canada filed its lawsuit, it casts quite a shadow on the founder of WestJet, which has managed to make money during some very challenging times." G&M

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