Head of Business Development sends an email to CIO (without looking at corp calendar) and asks him to keep March 15 open for a meeting in Arizona. CIO writes back and says “I want to win business, but timing is not optimal because I am on vacation that day. I would rather not cancel. Let me know your thoughts”. BD guy goes nuts saying he is getting no support, no respect, how can I do my job etc. I mean effin bonkers. My take: BD guy should have called the CIO and said “Bud, this is important. Sorry to screw up your vacation but I need you there.” CIO would have said “I understand. I will see you in Arizona.” But instead BD guy is so pissed, he tells the CIO to not bother, the President and CEO are going instead. Now CIO is pissed.
CIO: Dick move for even mentioning he is on vacation and would rather not change plans?
BD: Unprofessional reaction to an CIO’s email that may or may not have been warranted?
Vacation is more important than some BD trying to win business. Sorry to disagree with you but if performance is good and reputation is solid a meeting in Arizona is not what’s winning business it’s the returns.
I agree with CIO’s position unless it was like one day off stay-cation, in which case, I think its reasonable to expect that CIO would reschedule. Otherwise, this is on the BD guy.
BD guys should check the calendar to make sure CIO is available and plan ahead instead of asking people to be at his / her beck and call. Also BD guys fault for over-reacting and blowing things out of proportion.
CIO left the door open without *voluntarily* giving up his vacation day (“I want to win business, but timing is not optimal…let me know your thoughts”). If this was a chance to catch a whale, then he would’ve been there. BD clearly overreacted about not making his nut.
CIO is right. If it’s a family vacation (and not just some random day off) then reschedule the meeting. It’s not that hard. Family gets pushed aside for work stuff in so many daily situations (staying until 10 to work on a project, etc). If someone tries to f*ck with my vacation I flatly say no unless it’s critical (ohai/hashtag’s catch a whale scenario).
There must be some additional background or extra details in the conversation that have not been disclosed. Unless OP is one of these two parties, he might not know everything - and if he is, he would probably not be objective. The sales guy looks like a b**** the way this has been presented. Perhaps the BD guy has struggled and is frustrated with other issues in the company. Otherwise, he might have some past issue with the CIO, like if CIO ran over his dog, cuckolded his wife, attended his house party and had delayed effect of oxypowder dose, or something else.
its business development who gives a heck, just get another one. Most of them are crap anyway and act like they do gods work. CIO is totally in the right, BD guy is a biotch
True, but in the current backdrop a lot of BD / sales guys are struggling, seeing weak paychecks and experiencing a lot of job insecurity so it’s not beyond the pale.
Have to side with the CIO here. There is a corporate calendar for a reason. Had BD guy checked the calendar and then reached out to CIO privately to ask if he could shift things around, I suspect CIO would have said yes and everyone would have won.
I am not one of the parties, and nothing material left out. The meeting turned out to be unmovable because it was a board meeting which we were given the opportunity to present to. But there was no indication of that in BD’s first email. Consequently, I agree that the BD totally overreacted. In my opinion the CIO has always been respectful to the BDO - I would say above and beyond. But the BDO has done a good job raising assets, so he tends to get a pass by the CEO.
I would agree that it’s the BD guy that’s the dickhead in the situation based on the information provided. Either guy could have prevented the drama by picking up the phone. Don’t get me wrong, when I started my career I was a full blown millennial that hated having any conversations on the phone but seriously, if the meeting is that important give the CIO a call or go an speak to him face to face.
Having worked on both sides of the fence I would have has a degree of sympathy for the BD guy as well if he hadn’t responded like such a diva, and it’s bollocks to say that it’s performance that’s got the opportunity or that he’s replaceable. Newsflash, BD guys on the buyside earn just as much if not more than investment guys barring the small % of investment guys that become star PMs or CIOs.
Working on the BD side of things myself, I will take the BD guy’s side by saying that the lack of communication and willingness to help gather assets from the the investment team is outrageous, and that’s probably what caused his frustration! What’s interesting is sometime they (CIO and PM’s mostly) actually have the balls to go to the president/CEO saying that the inflows slowed down into the small cap fund for example, and they would rather see inflows into our managed program, so they can allocate some assets to that small cap fund. Total BS!!!
To those of you who are on the investment side of things, have some respect for the BD side. Those people are often as qualified if not more, and are the ones putting bread on your table!
CIO for sure. He left it open to reschedule his vacation should it be important. What if the CIO had this vacation planned because whatever the occasion happens once a year and was expensive, but nonrefundable. People have lives, and you can’t just get upset because they already have plans.
Central problem here is that BD guy and CIO need to work on their communication. Should have been easily solved by a short phone conversation.
Edit:Solution - Give BDO & CIO a bottle of Oxypowder, preferably purchased from the official Infowars.com store. Then send them on a camping retreat in the wilderness. Should alleviate all future problems and blockages.
I would take the CIO’s side… the BD guy should of checked then CIO’s calendar first and then ask whether there is any chance of making the meeting or calling into the meeting.
Agreed that BD & IM Teams have to work closer for asset gathering. Nobody cares about your new Large Equity or Core Plus strategy.