Reputation Gurus

I’m sure that there will be many comparisons between Stan O’Neill’s dismissal from Merrill Lynch and Chuck Prince’s departure yesterday from Citigroup.  Both men tried to change very distinct and strong cultures, both men tried to broaden their respectives globally, and both men fell to the credit crisis that is gripping the United States, if not the world.  Both men also ended up making a lot of enemies, removing executives who challenged them.

I have to wonder, though, what the long-term fall-out will be of letting such high profile CEOs go, particularly in the wake of poor financial earnings.  With shareholders demanding the ouster of CEOs based on one or two bad quarters, who in their right mind would want that job? 

 One wonders who’s next to go …