Perhaps starting off a new job by virtually raising a middle finger to the new boss and taking a vacation isn't the way to go?
Apparently American International Group Inc.'s (NYSE:AIG) board members are concerned about CEO Robert Benmosche's recent "tough talk". According to The Wall Street Journal:
Certain members of AIG's board, which put Robert Benmosche into the chief executive's role in August, have been taken aback by his comments at employee meetings, say people familiar with the matter. Mr. Benmosche said New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo "doesn't deserve to be in government" and that Mr. Benmosche would leave dealing with "all those crazies down in Washington" to the company's chairman, according to an account by Bloomberg News that was confirmed by Mr. Benmosche.According to the article, chairman Harvey Golub may have to step in and quash Benmosche's brashness. While many
shareholders find Benmosche's take charge attitude with little regard for regulators refreshing, AIG's largest shareholder-- the government-- apparently does not. Even Benmosche told The Wall Street Journal he is prepared to be cut down to size. "It would be appropriate if they said it. But the board doesn't have to tell me that. I've already told it to myself," he said.
Benmosche started the position in early August and so far he's
halted asset sales, demanded that the
Wall Street firms advising AIG cut their fees for any IPOs the company completes, and all apparently, while on his vacation, tending grapes and drinking wine.
Of course, as Reuters points out, if the whole CEO thing doesn't quite work out for Benmosche, he can always fall back on his passion for wine and his vineyard. - Maria Woehr
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