Indian-origin man’s 'no women’ work rule stuns British woman CEO. Check her response

A British business leader has strongly criticized an Indian-origin professional for making a remark that he avoids working with women. Louisa Klouda, who serves as the CEO of Fenchurch Legal, made the incident public by sharing a screenshot of her conversation with Nirmal Patel. In the exchange, Patel informed her of his reluctance to collaborate with female professionals and ended his message with the unprofessional remark, "Be well, sweetheart.”

According to Patel’s LinkedIn profile, he identifies as an “SFO deal syndicate middleman” and is currently based in London. He is an alumnus of the prestigious Imperial College, London, and UCL.

How The Exchange Unfolded

The exact circumstances of how Klouda and Patel’s interaction began remain unclear. However, records show that in December 2024, Patel reached out to Klouda with a message stating, “Happy to take a call as I don’t like to connect without knowing the person.”


When he did not receive a reply, Patel followed up with another message on January 6, consisting of nothing more than a single question mark.

This time, Klouda responded. The Fenchurch Legal CEO greeted him politely and extended her New Year wishes before inquiring about his availability for a future discussion.

“Hi Nirmal, I hope you’re well. Happy New Year! Would you be available for a team call next week at some point?” she asked. “If so, please share times and days that work for you.”

The Controversial Reply

Rather than responding professionally, Patel replied with a statement that many have condemned as both sexist and dismissive.

“Thanks; as interesting and successful as your business is, I tend not to work with women. Be well, sweetheart,” he wrote.

Klouda, clearly outraged by his response, decided to expose the interaction by posting a screenshot of the conversation on LinkedIn.

“Well, I woke up today and learned something groundbreaking: Some people still think women shouldn’t be in business. Wild. It’s 2025; we’ve got AI writing novels, people vacationing in space, and yet... here we are,” she wrote in her post, highlighting the outdated and discriminatory mindset she had encountered.

Widespread Backlash

Klouda was far from alone in her anger. Her LinkedIn post quickly gained traction, with numerous users condemning Patel’s remarks.

One individual commented, “You really don’t want to work with this guy. But shocking either way.”

Another user went as far as to call the message a form of harassment, writing, “I believe this message constitutes harassment.”

The incident has sparked widespread debate, drawing attention to the persistent challenges women face in professional spaces, even in modern times.

Louisa Klouda is the CEO of Fenchurch Legal, a litigation funding firm. Previously she worked as a corporate broker and derivatives trader.