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Urs Rohner survived it all: Dougan, writer of billions, scolding from the SNB, bargaining at film festivals, espionage.
Now, the Chairman of Credit Suisse is approaching the target range. Next spring, Rohner will step down due to the tenure guillotine.
Instead of being a cleaner, Rohner goes down in history as a mountaineer; as someone who has not understood what is still possible today and what is beyond good and evil.
Tidjane Thiam is responsible for the Rohner case. The former CEO of the bank fired his bullet right through Rohner’s heart over the weekend.
Thiam told the New York Times how he experienced racism at its finest at Rohner’s party last November when the CS captain celebrated his 60th birthday.
A black man disguised as a caretaker appeared on stage and performed a musical piece.
Thiam and his entourage had left the room, the newspaper wrote. When they returned, they saw Rohner’s friends in afro wigs on stage.
The CS came under massive pressure on Monday. The Guardian recorded the New York Times dance. “Credit Suisse apologizes for the black janitor act at the president’s party,” read the headline on the left-hand sheet.
In the Swiss media, the CS tried to take countermeasures. “Incorrect presentation of the night,” reported CH Media.
“Not all party participants perceived the events as racist,” said the Aargau newspaper. Plus:
“The scene with the caretaker was a Cirque du Soleil artist, says a person who participated in the birthday party but does not want to be mentioned by name on this website on Monday.”
That “had no racist component.” The scene with the afro wigs “was far from racism.”
That fits with what another participant said here. But the damage had already been done for CS and their best man, Urs Rohner:
The bank and the president ended up in the racist pillory.
The New York Times reporter caught the upper deck with his left foot.
She had submitted countless questions for her story, repeatedly raised the fall 2019 spy case and subsequent rejections, up to and including Thiam’s firing as chief executive of the bank.
The reporter wanted to know more about Rohner’s party in a more informal way. The CS media folks did not expect this point to be featured prominently.
From the article, which was published last Saturday, one thing remains above all: the performances at Urs Rohner’s party, which are pure racism. They were right on top of the story, they were new and explosive.
That was exactly what Tidjane Thiam wanted. It doesn’t matter if the former head of CS was actually affected by the shows on stage.
The only thing that matters is the impression made: CS and its President Rohner as stupid people from the past.
It doesn’t help that Switzerland and the big bank see this diametrically differently. CS is big in the Anglo-Saxon world, where it makes its money.
And there it is stained now. As a spy company where racism is part of everyday life.
It can hardly be worse.
What to do? Urs Rohner immediately got to his knees and apologized for himself and the bench at the English Guardian, hoping the matter would grow quickly.
There could have been another reaction.
Tidjane Thiam has received around 80 million Swiss francs from CS in less than 5 years as CEO.
Now he has done the maximum damage to his former company. Why doesn’t Thiam cancel his blocked bonus actions?
CS doesn’t want that; He is too afraid of the forthcoming retribution of his “savior”, who was once brought to Zurich with drums and trumpets.
