As David Solomon set out to sell his latest overhaul of Goldman Sachs to investors on Tuesday, there was little sign of the sharp-tongued titan of the C-suite or the flamboyant “DJ D-Sol” known for frequenting music festivals. Instead, Solomon appeared to be contrite.
The second significant restructuring since he became chief executive four years ago was in effect an admission that the bank was under pressure from investors, who had become increasingly dubious of its ambitions to launch a viable consumer brand after years of losses and high staff turnover.
“I appreciate the comment that shareholders haven’t been excited about it,” Solomon said of the foray into consumer banking during a call with investors. “And that certainly affects some of our decision making.”