Bypassing Reputation Rehab: The Emerging Kathy Ruemmler Model

 Remember the traditional thinking about reputation. It goes all the way back to Shakespeare's "Othello" about the loss of one's good name is to lose everything. More recently, that is in the late 1990s, management consultant Tom Peters formalized that with the concept of "personal branding."

And there we have been, that is, reputation is almost everything. An entire sector of services sprung up to take care of hits to the personal branding. Terakeet even specialized in the digital piece.

But that whole continuum, from the critical importance of reputation to the need to hire a fixer, might be collapsing. Reputation may not be all that important. And fixes might not be all that effective. 

The new emerging model of a career in apparent peril might be emerging with the situation of Goldman Sachs top lawyer Kathy Ruemmler. As everyone knows she was quite a Friend of Jeffrey (Epstein), even receiving pricey gifts. Eventually she announced resigning from Goldman Sachs, scheduled for the end of this month.

Well, The New York Times expose on Terakeet informed us that Ruemmler had received its services. But that didn't turn out so well. Until today, on Google, the first entry documents the Epstein relationship. So much for digital repair.

But what a difference a day makes. 

Now the top listings blast that Ruemmler isn't resigning. She responded to CEO David Solomon's request to stay on. The headline from The Financial Times even mentions the Epstein connection. However, with this plum title back intact who is going to really give a damn about past history. Returned to a position of strength, Ruemmler will be featured from now on for her influence and achievements at that financial firm.

The bypassing-reputation-rehab model actually had a prototype with financial builder Leon Black. Sure, his general reputation has remained toxic. But in the land of finance he has remained respected. The guy isn't hiding either. 

Others knocked out a box by the association with Epstein might size up the current opportunity to do what has always panned out in capitalism: Achieve and all will be forgiven. Don't wait for a scrub in the human collective memory bank or in technology. If that detail does come up, it will be irrelevant. Too many will be sucking you up for favors. 

So what about the tainted. Brad Karp at Paul, Weiss, Leon Botstein at Bard, Elisa New without a current academic home, Bill Gates aka Mr. Rogers and the mergers guy Marc Rowan. Their total focus can shift to doing what they're so good at. Not being distracted with personal branding. 

I inform my clients: Achieve and you will be back on top, no matter the "sins" of the past. The mistake too many sinners make is folding into themselves and ignoring the wins they could be making. 

Careers? So Over. It’s about Earning a Good Living. No matter what.

Complimentary consultation. No Pressure. Street-smart Guidance. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.


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