Jonathan Cox, global head of the Barclays Whistleblower Program, is leaving the bank at a time when both CEO Jes Staley and the bank are under investigation by U.K. and U.S. regulators for possible breaches of whistleblower protection rules. In 2016, Jes Staley tried to unmask a whistleblower within the bank who criticized his hiring of a longtime associate for a top job. Mr. Stanley has apologized for his actions earlier this year, and the Barclays Board decided to withhold some of his bonus payout, but resisted calls to fire him.

[see “Barclays CEO Reprimanded for Trying to Unmask Whistleblower”]

[see “In Judgment of the Barclays CEO Who Tried to Unmask a Whistleblower"]

Mr. Cox's departure is part of a settlement reached with the bank over an employment dispute that had been scheduled to be heard last Wednesday, September 13. While no details of the dispute or the settlement were disclosed, it’s widely believed that the dispute related to the bank’s handling of the above-mentioned ongoing whistleblowing investigations.
 

JONATHAN COX BACKGROUND.    According to LinkedIn.com and MLROS.com (a forum for financial crime practitioners), Mr. Cox was recruited to Barclays in 2013 to investigate areas of concern raised through the whistleblowing process arising in Corporate & Investment Banking. Within 18 months, he was promoted and appointed Global Head of Whistleblowing, and now runs an international team which includes 4 Vice Presidents and Subject Matter Experts across 4 continents.  Under his leadership, whistleblowing reports within Barclays have risen over 300% and, with the vast majority now being raised through internal reporting channels, there is a high level of confidence in the system which he has established and embedded. Prior to joining Barclays, Mr. Cox spent 30 years with the U.K Metropolitan Police Service where, among other things, he managed the Metropolitan Witness Protection Unit. At the time he joined Barclays, Mr. Cox had risen to the rank of Detective Inspector.