Donna Player escorted from David Jones office after being fired

COLLEAGUES of David Jones’ dumped head of merchandise Donna Player were given an early clue Player’s fortunes at the retailer had soured.

This column is informed staff who fired off early-morning emails to Player on Tuesday, the day she was sacked, were surprised by a bounce-back email saying Player no longer worked at the company.

Confidential hears an eager manager advised tech services to turn off Player’s email — before her boss pulled her aside at the Tuesday morning sales meeting to tell her her contract had been cancelled.

Rubbing salt into the wound, the long-serving executive was then escorted from the building.

Insiders say for some time Player had felt she was being excluded from planning meetings.

But they claim she maintained her passion for quality garments and may have fallen out of favour after suggesting bosses “continue to give customers what they want rather than the cheaper merch lines the new ... executives were keen to stock”.