Factual Storytelling...

BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO BAD PEOPLE

Defined as three consecutive quarters of negative growth, Australia never technically entered a recession during the global financial crisis. The agony that had stemmed from over gratification and greed still managed however, to rob many of their jobs, homes and standard of living. Once respected as a senior executive director of Westpac’s financial innovation and strategy department, David Santori had reason to be confident in maintaining his job through this period. “Life is good” he was often caught saying, until June 27^th 2007. 

Angry and unsettled by the loss of his job he often detailed to the family at length the politics and situational power struggles in the boardroom. As a well respected, successful and relatively young executive, the sudden financial hardship and crisis, meant that he was ultimately seen as a threat. So when the call came through that someone in the boardroom had to go, he was the obvious choice. The statement “it gets to a point in all the major companies where it doesn’t matter how good you are at your job, success and climbing the ranks depends on how you know and how much they like you”, (that if true) seems worrying.  His insight into how executives and powerful boardrooms do business is scary in that talked about the detailed research that goes into customer manipulation and the overall opinion that the ‘individual doesn’t matter’.

The loss of David’s job did not only result in the loss of his harbour front apartment in high end Mosman Sydney, but also heralded a relapse to a dark period in his past. As an adopted child to a respected and wealthy family in Essex it would of seemed that David had had a colourful future. An exceedingly intelligent student at school his aspirations where infinite. Infinite until the sudden passing of his adopted mother when he was 18 to an undetected form of breast cancer. Stints of drug and alcohol abuse in conjunction with a struggle against depression and unemployment dictated his life from that point until 30 when he met his first wife, moved to Australia, started a family and completed an MBA in finance. As a ruthless and cunning businessman the morality and ethical decisions that David made saw his rapid rise in what he often tongue in cheek, sadistically labeled a “lion eat lion” world. The reversion to a systemic period of depression and anxiety after the loss of his job signaled what many would quickly label a mid- life crisis. Already divorced and now very much alone, there really wasn’t many positive aspects in his life at that period. The egotistical arrogance in turning down job opportunities due to an unwillingness to accept a lower salary can be somewhat understood when you reflect on his hard journey toward prominence. However the angst and turmoil he had already and would go on to cause his family meant that there was little sympathy and respect amongst those who knew him.

Deciding over night to move out and leave behind his two young kids and wife for still unknown reasons, saw him alienate his entire family. Having initially taken on a debt to pay for his MBA, David’s wife was left to battle hardship with no support from her ex husband. David moving to The United States of America five months later came as no surprise to her, alongside his subsequent two wives, allegations of financial fraud and abrupt forceful intrusion back into his children’s lives after 4 years with no contact. Described to me by his son as “the most unexplainable mix of emotions ever”, the call from his father saying “ I am coming back to Australia…I am married…I have 2 step kids… and I really want to see you” shattered his otherwise normal twelve year old life. Again unemployed and rapidly approaching 50 there wasn’t much going for him.

Currently working at a Vodafone call centre in Sydney it would be easy to say that David has been some what humbled or has fallen a long way. Having lost his job through being implicated in the controversy linking Manildra corp. with illegal incentive payments to politicians and their political groups, David has taken a step away from the unforgiving financial sector. Now divorced and remarried he seemingly hasn’t succeeded in finding love either.  A Renewed interest and connection with his children a small consolation. His kids deal with him in what seems to be an emotionally unfazed and unresponsive manner. It is unclear whether this can be seen as sad or smart, or both, in the scheme of things. With David it is always hard to tell if he is truthful or not but regardless it is interesting that David seems to think he is actually happier than he has ever been; “I kind of like having a different sort of responsibility (kids), I feel like I am achieving something at the moment”.

Without a doubt he is both a product of a cutthroat industry alongside a shining example of how morality and ethics are often not major parts of a successful businessman repertoire. As a family looking upon his life to date I cannot help but be glad I am not studying business and be sure that he is somewhat frightened of the new proposition that now faces him.