DAVOS DIARY
ANIMATED discussion of world events is meant to be a Davos hallmark. Just so long as you watch what you are doing with that full wine glass…
Davos Diary was loitering with some intent at an evening soiree last week as one well-known business TV personality debated the Eurozone crisis with one bigwig of Lazard Group, the investment bank, and his wife.
“They still haven’t fixed it,” said our enthused journo, gesturing emphatically with a generous glass of white wine, which sloshed, unnoticed, onto his jacket.
As he continued to hold forth, our Lazard pair eyed his jacket uncomfortably.
“You’ve got something there,” said our banker’s wife, finally.
“Who did that?” exclaimed the hack with some outrage, looking down. His companions shifted uneasily.
“Someone knocked you,” came the awkward reply, as our TV maestro was dabbed solicitously with a napkin.
Seems it’s not just the euro politicians passing the buck.
Meanwhile, over at drinks in the Belvedere Restaurant, Deutsche Bank’s outgoing CEO Josef Ackermann manned the door next to a cheerful Alexei Kudrin, batting off approaches from media. But incoming CEO double act Anshu Jain and Jürgen Fitschen were at pains to demonstrate their ease: backslapping and laughs all ’round. Regarding the annoyance of being chased down by media, Jain was philosophical. “It’s the job,” he shrugged. “You’ve got to have a sense of humour about it. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”