Sweeping changes from new broom
WHETHER or not the departures of Chris Lucas and Mark Harding from Barclays are related to any ongoing investigations (and the bank is very keen to point out that they’re definitely entirely separate), the pair were notably among a dwindling number of executives to remain from the era of the bank’s swashbuckling former chief executive Bob Diamond.
Yesterday’s official statement confirming the news is tellingly shot through with new boss Antony Jenkins’ favourite theme, articulated by words such as “transition”, “inflection points” and a new “direction of travel”. These are stock phrases that will no doubt pepper Jenkins’ speech when he sits in front of MPs tomorrow.
He will be hoping to discuss the bank’s future, as well as to the past to which Lucas and Harding belonged.