Yes - it's time for a woman to be chairman of Barclays. And simply because she is a woman, it would make things at the bank better.
Rona Fairhead - the former Financial Times Group chief executive, is rumored to be on a shortlist to take over from Sir David Walker next year. She is a capable, dynamic executive, with a great pedigree. But it's the fact that she is a woman that's making me cheer from the side-lines. After all, few banks need more change than the beleaguered blue eagle. And though she may not thank me (as it's not popular to celebrate a person's success simply based on gender) - I can't resist the thought that it would be an absolute game-changer for the bank, the industry and many aspiring women packed into the marzipan layer of banking.
Women especially have not had enough role models at the top of the industry - and the few that have been prominent (there is just one at the top table) have not been diverse enough. That means those in my generation have seen only one type of successful female, which not everyone wants to emulate.
Also, while Walker was a politically palatable choice in the aftermath of the Libor scandal, he has failed to rescue the bank's reputation or properly manage and control Anthony Jenkins, the CEO. One board-colleague complained privately of Jenkins: "He was the right man for the time, not the right man for the job."
And let's not forget the endless legacy issues at Barclays, which include Libor, PPI mis-selling, foreign exchange, dark pools.
After the latest regulatory bust-up in America, another bank insider told me that in will take 10 more years to "clean up" Barclays and rid it of any lurking skeletons. That's a long time for any board to stomach - or survive.
In the midst of this political mudslide, Barclays is also haemorrhaging profits, which at the half-year point had fallen 7 percent overall and 46 percent in the investment bank. It stands precociously alongside America's big universal lenders, which rather than making it an export treasure, has made it a punching bag in the continuing row over bonuses.
So, what is it about Fairhead that would make this mess look that bit tidier? Apart from her obvious credentials - simply being a woman will give her a different take in a cultural environment where group-think has allowed a litany of bad behavior to flourish. This role shouldn't be passed on to another pale-male-and-stale member of the old boys club. It needs a new approach, to match its new aspirations. Let's have a bit of the Carolyn McCall touch - after all, her decision to change focus from cost-cutting to customer service at EasyJet has done wonders for the airline.
The real hurdle would probably be whether Fairhead would even take the role, which could prove to be a poisoned chalice and has already been turned down by Sir Mike Rake.
For the of sake women, who make up 50 percent of bank graduates but then fail to stay on in those numbers after 30, I certainly hope so.
CNBC
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