Richard White resigned as executive chair of WiseTech Global on July 7, 2026, after recent newspaper reports about allegations against him. He remains on the company's board and keeps a role as chief innovation officer. Raelene Murphy, who joined the board at the start of 2026, has taken over as chair, according to the Guardian.

In June 2026, newspapers reported that police are investigating claims that White coerced a cleaner into a sexual relationship and gave false information to support her visa application. White says these allegations are not true. He also said the news reports could encourage investors to bet against the company's stock. On the day the reports came out in June, WiseTech's share price dropped, according to Reuters.

When White resigned from the chair role, investors responded positively. WiseTech's stock price went up 8.1% on July 7. However, this small gain comes after a much larger drop. The company's value fell from over $40 billion in July 2025 to under $13 billion today—roughly two-thirds of its value gone in one year.

This is the second crisis involving White in less than two years. He first stepped down as chief executive in October 2024 after personal revelations became public. An independent review cleared him of allegations of bullying. But in February 2025, four board members resigned to protest his return as executive chair. Even so, the remaining board members kept him in that role. Each time a scandal has forced him out of one job, the company has given him another.

Murphy, the new chair, has publicly defended White, saying her experience working with him differs from what newspapers reported. She says the board wants to keep his expertise while planning for a new chief executive. Zubin Appoo has been the chief executive throughout all these events and continues in that role.

The company is also cutting 30% of its workforce—one of the largest layoffs in WiseTech's history. This started in May 2026, before the latest allegations came out, but now happens alongside them. A company laying off a third of its workers while its founder faces investigation and its leadership changes hands twice in two years is unusual.

What matters here is a pattern: each time a crisis has forced White out of a leadership role, the company has found him a different one rather than having him leave entirely. He moved from chief executive to executive chair, and now to chief innovation officer. Investors appear to care more about whether White holds the top chair position than about whether he stays at the company. On the day he resigned, they bought stock, but the bigger story is that WiseTech's total value has been cut in half.

What happens next depends on how the police investigation develops and whether the company's business can improve under Murphy's leadership despite the large workforce cut. For now, White is no longer the official head of the company, but he is still there.