The Navigator
Judgement in the fog, money, risk and the call others cannot make.
Colm Kelleher emerges in this interview as a quintessential Navigator, someone who steers institutions through turbulent, high-stakes environments by reading risk early, preparing methodically, and holding course when others capitulate. He describes pre-cooking a list of demands before the Credit Suisse weekend call, drawing directly on lessons from steering Morgan Stanley through 2008.
“I always ask people, how long have you been at this firm? A lot of continuity, a lot of average tenor of service. That is actually a very good reflection of culture.”
“You can only worry about what you can control. Too many people worry about things outside their control. You've got to focus on those things where you can actually make a difference.”
“I had to have a list of demands pre-cooked. Otherwise we wouldn't do it. UBS had a very viable standalone strategy, so the idea we were going to take on this minimum three-year break was significant.”
Money Maze Podcast: “Colm Kelleher, Chairman of UBS & Former President of Morgan Stanley, Discusses Culture, Leadership, Surviving the Great Financial Crisis and UBS Today”
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