The banks’ leaders should take a leaf out of James Comey’s book
As they navigate the biggest crises of their careers, the leaders of Australia’s biggest banks would do well to take a leaf out of ex-FBI director James Comey’s book, explains crisis comms expert Peter Wilkinson.
Transparency can be confronting, especially when it’s forced out of you by a royal commission.
For many it’s no surprise that the banks and AMP have come so badly unstuck; I did many stories through the ‘80s and ‘90s as a journalist on ‘banks being bad’ and they always rated well, resonating with angry viewers.
But flip-side, I’ve worked with good boards and a lot of great CEOs, and I meet regularly with a group of talented leaders. Many conscientious leaders I know suffer night terrors, awake at night stressing about ethics, governance and doing the right thing by personnel.
Boy, recent revelations show that transparency was not Comey’s strong suit, who wants the banks using new snooping apps to illegally spy on its customers?