From meetings with spies around the world (from CIA directors to Mossad agents), presidents, leading investment figures and others, Hank Greenberg is responsible for moving AIG into the ranks of the most powerful international corporations. Through aggressive tactics, especially overseas, the company used political clout to cut off aid, threaten trade sanctions, etc. to continue its growth. Some observers would say that given Greenberg’s tactics throughout his career, his ultimate downfall–at the hands of Eliot Spitzer–was inevitable. What remains to be seen is whether Greenberg disappears quietly and whether AIG can survive.
Book Details:
- Author: Ron Shelp
- ISBN: 9780470354032
- Year Published: 2006
- Pages: 228
- BISAC: BUS077000, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS/Corporate & Business History
About the Book and Topic:
From meetings with spies around the world (from CIA directors to Mossad agents), presidents, leading investment figures and others, Hank Greenberg is responsible for moving AIG into the ranks of the most powerful international corporations. Through aggressive tactics, especially overseas, the company used political clout to cut off aid, threaten trade sanctions, etc. to continue its growth. Some observers would say that given Greenberg’s tactics throughout his career, his ultimate downfall–at the hands of Eliot Spitzer–was inevitable. What remains to be seen is whether Greenberg disappears quietly and whether AIG can survive.
Hank Greenberg’s legacy will ultimately reveal a great deal more than the charge of accounting fraud–which ultimately led to his resignation from AIG. His long career at the company is full of international intrigue, expert business acumen and more than enough drama for The Financial Times to compare Greenberg’s style of management to King Lear. This book will be a fascinating biography of both Greenberg and AIG.
UNIQUE INSIDER VIEW: Media coverage cannot capture Shelp’s years of experience working alongside Greenberg and within the AIG organization. Shelp can do more than create a timeline of misdeeds that led to Greenberg’s fall. He can explain what was happening to Greenberg and others and explain why events transpired. POWERFUL STORY WITH WIDE INTEREST: For nearly 40 years, Greenberg was one of the most powerful CEOs in America. His ultimate departure in disgrace is of interest to a huge potential audience–business leaders, current and former AIG employees, Wall St. investors, etc. PORTRAIT OF A POWERFUL CEO WITH EQUALLY POWERFUL FRIENDS: Greenberg was quite involved in Chinese trade during the 1980s and Henry Kissinger was one of his representatives. Because of his dealings with China, Greenberg had dealings with a wide range of intelligence offices, including the Mossad. In fact, Reagan offered Greenberg a position as deputy secretary of the CIA , which Greenberg turned down. From 1988 to 1995, Greenberg was a director of the New York Federal Reserve Bank. He is director emeritus and honorary vice chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations.
About the Author
Ronald K. Shelp has long experience in both the corporate and non-profit sectors. He served as a domestic and international troubleshooter and also supervised worldwide government relations, corporate communications and advertising/sales at AIG. He served on various AIG boards. Following his depature from AIG, Shelp worked at Celanese Corporation as a member of the management committee and later worked for Burston-Marstellar and the co-founded B2B Street.com, an internet company. In the non-profit arena, he serves as President and CEO of the New York City partnership, founded by David Rockefeller. Shelp has also served as advisor to Presidential candidates and other politicians. He has contibuted to numerous books and has also written for the New York Times, Foreign Policy, LA Times, etc. Al Ehrbar is an experienced business journalist who formerly worked at Fortune and The Wall St. Journal. He is the author of two books, EVA: The Real Key to Creating Wealth and The Verbatim Story: The First Twenty Five Years.