On the one hand- Charlie says he wants to “grow our investment bank”, competing with global giants who have been perfecting their craft for decades. And he also says he is focused on building our Wealth Management business “acquiring, building, deepening and retaining relationships with affluent clients.”
On one other hand - he is quickly turning us in to the JC Penny of banks. He is degrading our brand by:
- Continuing to fall further behind on technology and digital innovation
- Laying off knowledgeable competent employees and replacing them with cheap inexperienced workers
- Seeking low-cost mediocre solutions rather than focusing on quality and excellence
- Pompous leaders unable to connect with employees, customers or shareholders
- Failing to pivot quickly and competently with shifting customer needs
- Setting a low-bar by prioritizing cost cutting above all else
- Offshoring jobs to third-world countries, which is known to decrease customer satisfaction and increase privacy and security concerns
- Failing to put the customer’s needs above the C-Suite’s greed.
- Selling off and shutting down important business lines
You can’t have it both ways.
You’re not going to attract Bergdorf Goodman clients to your JC Penny business.
High-net worth clients have complex needs and seek optimal investment solutions. They do not seek to be served by third-world country call centers and inferior outdated business models. Neither do the Financial Advisors, who serve them. Investment Banking clients want proven expertise in the issuance of their securities or assistance with their mergers and acquisitions . Wall Street investment banks put a high priority on their asset managements businesses in conjunction with their investment research businesses. They put an emhasis on attracting, paying and retaining top talent. Charlie has sold our asset management business, neutered our research analysts and chased off/laid-off top talent.
Charlie has to make up his mind. Does he want Wells Fargo to be a respected bank known for it’s excellence and top-tier services?? Or does he want the Wells Fargo brand to be cheap, clunky, outdated and driven to eventual failure?