CEO Style File

Stanley O’Neal wears a blue tie upon leaving Merrill.

 

(Stanley O'Neal. Corporate headshot. Nice.)

(Stanley O'Neal from the washingtonpost.com)

Stanley O’Neal’s climb to the top is admirable. O’Neal was the first black chief executive of a major Wall Street company. He grew up on a cotton field in Alabama. He rose through the ranks of Merrill Lynch by spending 20 years as an investment banker then became chief financial officer before being appointed chief executive. The amount of his severance is shocking. After leaving (retiring) from Merrill with $160 million (mostly in stock reports Market Watch) Wall Street is not only buzzing about the fall of the financial titan and what that means for other banks, O’Neal’s management style which was, in a nutshell, aggressive came under heavy criticism.

The reticent leader, not only managed the bank’s trillion dollar balance sheet in a way that infuriated the board of directors, he also filled the top leadership roles with his friends according to Fox Business. O’Neal championed Merrill’s trading collateralized debt obligations (CDOs) or bonds backed by mortgages, which put the bank at a high risk for sub prime debacle. And to further infuriate the board (a move widely perceived as sealing O’Neal’s fate) he kept the Merrill board of directors out of the loop and took it upon himself to meet with the chief executive of Wachovia to discuss a potential merger between the two banks.

But we don't really care about what O'Neal did to get himself removed from his post at Merrill. What we do care about is what he was wearing when he walked out of the building. People who worked with O’Neal said he would frequently wear a red tie to the office. Doesn't red give the “I want immediate world wide domination” vibe? Other leaders who had controversial ways of running their respective companies and slightly (understatement) egocentric include former Tyco chief executive, Dennis Kozlowski, Vladimir Putin, and our president, George W.

(Mr. Vladimir Putin in his "I want immediate world wide domination" tie.)

(Dennis Kozlowski pre jail.)

What’s really interesting is what Stanny was wearing during his departure!! Instead regular scarlet neck scarf he toned it down  and wore a blue tie with a grey suit. Going through our chief executives gone wong archives, we noticed a plethora of ex-heads wearing blue ties while chopping block. Former Imclone chief executive Samuel Waksal, former Enron chief financial officer, Andrew Fastow and former president Nixon are three of the most noteworthy.

(Sam Waksal at his trial)

(Oh, Nixon.)

(Andrew Fastow post sentencing)

Limited purchases on iPhones, but not black turtlenecks.

Fox Business reported this morning Apple has put a limit on the sale of iPhones for the holiday season. Eager beaver customers will only be able to purchase two- that’s right-only two per person.  Natalie Kerris, spokesperson for Apple, said Jobs didn’t have an official statement regarding the limited number of iPhones a person can purchase, but she did say the company wanted to ensure there was enough supply for demand during the holidays. What’s more, Apple wanted to discourage unauthorized resellers. Despite the announcement, Apple stock closed at 185.39 and has sold 1.4 million iPhones since June 29^th with no signs of slowing down.

Real Steve Jobs is a better dresser than fake Steve Jobs.

New Balance Sneakers always look good whether you are wearing a pair of dad jeans

(read: Steve-o) Jobs or if you are wearing a pair of Ernest Sewn Ace Slims.

Mr. fake out himself, Daniel Lyons is a different story. Note- Lyons is a senior editor at Forbes magazine. While those peeps may be known for their brilliance, style stars they are not (we know this from personal observation). On a typical day, you may see worn under a blue blazer or heather grey sweater.

Lyons wearing a less-than-fantastic suit from Mens Wearhouse suit with an average button down, tie and loafers. While we aren’t too keen on the suit action, everyday dress shirts like this one from Thomas Pink can be

(Image courtesy of Glen Davis for Forbes.com)

The black turtleneck, jeans and sneakers may get old, but the “Steve Jobs” uniform is infinitely better than what fake Steve Jobs wears every day to work. What Jobs does well: The Black Turtle Neck .

It’s simple, but chic and has a simple 1960s feel to it.

Is Steve Jobs a control freak?

Notice a parallel? Apple chief executive Steve Jobs wears a uniform of a black turtle neck, jeans and sneakers almost everyday. Jobs also has his top selling devices- the iPod and iPhone on lock down, meaning you can’t install any other software to the device. Jobs rules his company with a heavy hand and a lot of control. His wardro be also reflects control through monotony. But he is a billionaire so he must be doing something right.