Chief executive officer
A propos the cult of personality that attends all large organisations, the chief executive officer[1] gets referred to at all times by only his Christian name — so “Lloyd”, “Bob”, “Chuck”, or “Jamie” — and is immune from the cynicism (which, in any other dimension, would be total) on the part of those — that is everyone, however much any of them might deny it — who hanker after advancement in the firm.
The CEO is thus afforded Hero of the Soviet Union, First Class status — often he will be awarded it by himself — and his pronouncements, however banal, hackneyed or foolish, will be quietly celebrated across the breadth of the organisation as “best in class”. Until his ouster, whereupon he will acquire the status of Trotsky, Snowball, Emmanuel Goldstein and so on.
Apocryphal story
There is a story that a man known to all by only his Christian name at Goldman once had occasion to call the trading desk, at the time connected via a multi-line dealer board. Lord I wish it were true, but I doubt it. Let us call him Bob (not his real name, because this didn't happen, remember?).
A voice — youthful, without the tell-tale timbre of age and experience — picked up and, as on a trading desk one does, said:
- “Goldman.” (This is a statement. there is no inquiry, no rising inflection of curiousness. It's a statement.)
- “Yeah, can I get Jerry?” (Now, when you are known to all by your Christian name you don't bother with formalities like politeness. Nor, for that matter to traders.
- He's off the desk.
~click~
bob might not bother with politeness, but he rather thinks he's entitled to it. No message, even? Perhaps this young man didn't realize to whom he was speaking. Bob calls back.
~click~
See also
Dramatis personae: CEO | CFO | Client | Employees: Divers · Excuse pre-loaders · Survivors · Contractors · The Muppet Show | Middle management: COO · Consultant · MBA | Controllers: Financial reporting | Risk | Credit | Operations | IT | Legal: GC · Inhouse counsel · Docs unit · Litigator · Tax lawyer · US attorney Lawyer | Front office: Trading | Structuring | Sales |
References
- ↑ and his henchmen. Goldman had Hank, John and John, Barclays Bob, Jerry and Richie, and so on. Grim.