• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

Meet a 71-year-old who retired as a radiologist and professor, and now runs a banana-skewer business: ‘I never want to retire. Why would you do that?’

3

Elon Musk’s DOGE swiped $329 million in humanitarian funding from Nepal, leaving a Gen Z tech revolution to transform the budding country’s economy

1

Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster

2

Meet a 71-year-old who retired as a radiologist and professor, and now runs a banana-skewer business: ‘I never want to retire. Why would you do that?’

3

Elon Musk’s DOGE swiped $329 million in humanitarian funding from Nepal, leaving a Gen Z tech revolution to transform the budding country’s economy

Dutch CEO, in drag, talks up ‘brothel values’ in banking

By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 16, 2014, 4:32 PM ET
Google source logo
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.
ABN Amro chairman Gerrit Zalm as Priscilla, his “sister.”

FORTUNE — Note to other CEOs: This is not okay. But, hopefully, they weren’t even wondering.

Earlier this month, ABN Amro CEO and Chairman Gerrit Zalm addressed the Dutch bank’s employees dressed in drag and pretended to be his “sister,” Priscilla, who he said was a successful madame. The performance happened at an annual event where Zalm typically updates employees on the bank’s performance. Instead, Zalm came as Priscilla because he said, as Priscilla, that his bankers could learn a lot from brothel workers. You can predict what happened next.

Among the groaners that Zalm delivered as Priscilla was that, like a bank, her business had “a good front office and an excellent back office.” Zalm’s fake sibling said that her business didn’t have any problem attracting outstanding female personnel. “Women on top, that’s our motto,” Zalm said. He also said, as Priscilla, that clients in her branch prefer “younger relationship managers.”

MORE: 100 Best Companies to Work For

Zalm’s fake sister said his brother had come to her for advice. She said that she tells her employees to aim for a “warm welcome, long-term client relationships,” and to always “exceed the expectations of the customers.”

The bad taste at ABN Amro appears to go beyond its chairman, who is also a former finance minister of the Netherlands. The bank posted a video of the performance to its own YouTube account. In the video, you can hear employees laughing at Zalm’s jokes. It’s not clear when the event occurred.

The video was posted on Tuesday. But ABN Amro said that Zalm gave the performance at six different employee functions, including four in Amsterdam. As of Thursday morning, the video was still up on the bank’s YouTube account. One commentator on a Dutch news site said, “Poor taste … both in his/her actions and hideous dress!”

An ABN spokesman said Zalm’s performance came at an employee event that traditionally is meant to be less serious. He said Zalm has dressed up in years past, though never as a women. The performance “fits in with a Dutch sense of humor,” wrote the spokesman in an email. “It is a big, big hit in the Netherlands!” Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands.

The finance industry has traditionally been male-dominated and, over the years, it has been criticized for its treatment of women. Zalm’s performance will not help. In 2008, Citigroup (C) had to pay $33 million to 2,500 employees to settle sexual discrimination allegations that became known as the “boom boom room” scandal. Among the 280 employees Goldman Sachs (GS) promoted to managing director last year, less than 25% were women. Of ABN Amro’s eight-member board of directors, two are women.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2dvJGc8uL8

About the Author
By Stephen Gandel
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in


Most Popular

Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

    Latest in


    Most Popular

    © 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
    FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.