By Neil Hodge2021-02-18T16:14:00+00:00
Last week wasn’t a great one for high-profile leaders in the business world.
KPMG UK Chairman Bill Michael was forced to resign after his motivational speech to employees went off the rails (and public) when he told staff to “stop moaning” about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lampooned unconscious bias as “complete crap.”
Meanwhile, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey found himself in a heated argument with Members of Parliament over a “misunderstanding” that he had tried to have his name removed from a critical report published in December that found him personally responsible for the cultural failings at the Financial Conduct Authority (where he was CEO at the time) which contributed to its inability to spot major frauds, such as the collapse of London Capital & Finance in 2019. He denied the charge, only for the report author—former Court of Appeal Judge Dame Elizabeth Gloster—to contradict him, show her evidence, and question the reliability of his account.