guardian.co.uk,
Lisa O'Carroll, Saturday 10 December 2011
 |
| Bob Diamond: no fan of jerks. Photograph: Stefan Wermuth/Reuters |
The
Barclays chief executive has imposed a "no jerks" rule at the bank.
Bob Diamond
said "jerk" bankers were epitomised by an infamous 2002 episode in
which six Barclays staff ran up a £44,000 alcohol tab over lunch at a London
restaurant.
"Everyone
gets stressed from time to time but no one should ever not be nice. You know
what a jerk is when you see it," he said.
In an
interview with the Times, Diamond said the rule applied to bankers considered
to be prima donnas, too greedy, too ostentatious or poor team players. He said
he had already kicked out 30 staff for breaking his new ethics rule.
"If
someone can't behave with their colleagues and can't be part of the culture, it
doesn't matter how good they are at what they do, they have to be asked to
leave," he said.
Referring
to the incident in 2002 at the Gordon Ramsay restaurant Petrus, Diamond said:
"That was embarrasing. It was taking advantage – we have a responsibility
to our colleagues to have acted that way in a public place was
inexcusable."
The bankers
consumed some of the most expensive wine available to London diners: a 1982
Montrachet priced at £1,400 and three bottles of Petrus Pomerol. A 1945 bottle
of Petrus cost £11,600, a 1946 bottle £9,400 and a 1947 bottle £12,300. There
was also a dessert wine costing £9,200. The restaurant threw in the food for
free.
Diamond,
60, who has dual British-American nationality, landed the top job at Barclays a
year ago. He has been criticised himself for his lavish pay, earning £6.75m
last year.
 |
Bob
Diamond, head of Barclays Bank, is one of five top bankers
whose pay is
targeted in a letter from the ABI.
Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.