自從在弗吉尼亞州夏洛茨維爾的白人至上主義集會上，極右翼抗議者和反抗議者發生暴力沖突以來，已經過去近兩年時間。當年的血腥打斗和種族辱罵，是高沛德領導花旗時理念改變的關鍵。在那之前，高沛德身為美國最大銀行之一的首席執行官，在許多政治問題和社會問題上傾向于保持中立。但2017年8月17日，他的立場發生了變化。

高沛德在發給花旗20萬名員工的一份備忘錄中，表達了反對此類恐怖事件的觀點，稱之“影響極壞，嚴重侮辱了我們的價值觀”，并補充道：“很明顯，暴力沖突體現出的仇恨、偏執和種族主義不可容忍。”

高沛德表示，當騷亂開始時，他認為花旗員工均了解該行的價值觀。但在與領導團隊進行了大量反省和討論之后，他認為明確表明立場非常重要。

“坦率地說，當時我有點掙扎。”他說道。“我希望公司內部大家都應該明確知道，我們不會支持或容忍此類事件。但我認為，當前重要的是要讓員工聽到并收到提醒，讓他們可以說：‘我很了解公司的立場是這樣的。我了解身邊的同事，這就是他們的立場。’因此從很多方面來說，我只想站出來，打消有關‘我們是誰’和‘我們采取什么立場’的疑問。”

自那以來，高沛德在重大的社會和商業問題上越來越多地表明立場。舉例來說，花旗集團已經限制向商業客戶出售槍支。在美國的銀行中，只有花旗集團會披露女性員工與男性員工之間的薪酬差距情況。花旗還是最大的平價住房貸款銀行。

高沛德36年前畢業于哈佛大學，隨后便加入了花旗。在回想早年經歷時，他如此描述對在公司工作的期望：“進門，埋下頭做好自己的工作。”但他表示，如今對于在花旗工作的所有人來說，情況都發生了重大變化，特別是對身處最高層的首席執行官來說。

“當今時代，不管是整個社會、員工還是人民，都在期待企業為大局利益服務。” 他解釋道。“在審視現今世界面臨的挑戰時，無論是環境問題、還是平價住房的問題，企業都處于優勢地位，可以影響相關對話，而且有望影響最終結果。”（財富中文網）

譯者：Charlie

審校：夏林

It is almost two years now since the violent clashes between alt-right protesters and counter-protesters at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Those bloody fights and racial taunting were pivotal in changing the views of Michael Corbat when it comes to how he leads Citigroup. Until then, as the CEO of one of the largest banks in the country, Corbat preferred to stay neutral on many political issues and social problems. But that changed on August 17, 2017.

In a memo to Citi’s 200,000 employees, Corbat expressed his opposition to the horrible events calling them a “vile and tragic affront to our values”, adding, “it is obvious to us that the hatred, bigotry, and racism which was on display can never be tolerated.”

Corbat says that at first, when the riots began, he assumed Citi employees understood the bank’s values. But, after considerable introspection and discussion with his leadership team, he decided it was important for him to speak up.

“I candidly, struggled a bit,” he says. “I would hope within our company that it’s obvious that we don’t stand or tolerate any of those. But I think in today’s age, it’s important for your people to hear it and to be reminded and for them to have the ability to say, ‘I know this is the way my company comes to work. I know the people I work with, this is what they stand for.’ And so in many ways I just wanted to be out there taking any questions off the table around a reaffirmation of who we are and what we stand for.”

Since then Corbat has increasingly been taking stances on prominent social and business issues. The bank has set restrictions, for example, on the sale of firearms to its business customers. Citigroup is the only American bank to disclose the pay gap between its female and male employees. It is also the largest affordable housing lender.

Corbat joined Citi 36 years ago, right after graduating from Harvard University. As he reflects back on his early years working in the bank, he describes workplace expectations as “come in, put your head down, do your job.” But he says today things have changed dramatically for everyone working at the bank, and especially for the chief executive at the top.

“In today’s age there’s an expectation of society, there’s an expectation of your employees, of your people, that we’ve got to serve the greater good,” he explains. “When you look at the challenges in the world today, whether it’s the environment or whether it’s affordable housing, we’re in a privileged position of being able to influence that conversation and hopefully, the outcomes.”