Wells Fargo CEO apologizes for comments about diversity
September 23, 2020 9:23AM AKDT
FILE – In this March 10, 2020 file photo, Wells Fargo CEO and President Charles Scharf is seated before he testifies during a hearing of the House Financial Services Committee, on Capitol Hill, in Washington. Scharf apologized Wednesday, Sept. 23 for comments he made that dismissed concerns that the banking industry, which has a long history of racist behavior, wasn’t doing enough to promote and retain diverse talent. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)
By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf is apologizing for comments he made about the difficulty of finding qualified Black executives. Scharf said in a memo released this week that “there is a very limited pool of black talent to recruit from” in corporate America. The comments and similar statements made in a Zoom meeting led to an intense backlash in Washington and from advocacy groups. Scharf on Wednesday said in a prepared statement that the comments he made reflect “my own unconscious bias.”
