Putting what first?

Susan Crichton started giving her evidence today, but Paula Vennell's voice also came through loudly.

Susan Crichton gave evidence today and returns to the Inquiry tomorrow. It was a fascinating day, a rich study of the perils and pitfalls of being a GC when a business is in crisis. I am going to refrain from commenting on it further, certainly until the evidence session finishes, but there is one thing that deserves some emphasis.

We got to hear quite a bit about the thought processes of Paula Vennells and how Crichton felt she was being scapegoated for the Second Sight investigation. Concerned for her reputation, and health, Crichton decides to resign. There are meetings with Vennells where the CEO reflects on what is going wrong as her resignation unfolds. One thing Vennells says is this:

My reflection on what happened with SS [Second Sight] as I write this… …is that Susan was possibly more loyal to her professional conduct requirements and put her integrity as a lawyer above the interests of the business. She did not communicate clearly what she was concerned about. If as she says she felt compromised (personally and for the business) by being asked to manage SS more closely, then her misjudgement was that she did not make that clearer to me on the two or three occasions that I asked her to do so.

Interestingly, Susan Crichton’s response, I thought, initially at least, was not to really see it like that although she inched towards the point as she started to think about it more. Her evidence was that Vennells did not really understand Second Sight needed to be independent and Perkins wanted her to manage (other words were also used) the independent process like, we are told, the civil service would have done.

Whatever Susan’s view of it. Vennell’s view is interesting and typical of what a poor CEO does not understand. A lawyer is required to put integrity before the business’s interests. Any failure to do so, or not communicate it properly, is not just Crichton’s problem, it is hers.

If she or anyone else wants to read a story where a CEO got it right, please click here.