How have the bank‘s top brass been hit?
Nobody at the top of Standard Chartered has resigned over the Iranian sanction-breaching charges – a stark contrast with the outcome of Barclays’ LIBOR scandal. Peter Sands initially responded slowly to last week’s allegations. The chief executive was on holiday and taken by surprise. But since then he has impressed analysts and investors by flying to New York and pushing hard to reach a settlement, making sure the bank keeps its licence, and avoiding an embarrassing public hearing. Chairman Sir John Peace (left) has steered clear of the public glare through much of the episode, more widely being perceived as a driving force behind efforts to settle quickly and stop the firm’s reputation taking any further beating. However, investors are less certain about group finance director Richard Meddings (above). He has held senior, relevant roles since 2002 – covering much of the 2001 to 2007 period focused on by regulators. Meddings has not been accused of personal wrongdoing, but analysts fear any increase in pressure on the bank could focus on him.