+12%

8,536 $m

Financial Services

Goldman Sachs continues to rise to the top of league tables in a variety of areas and to show Year Over Year (YOY) growth in revenue and stock price. While Goldman Sachs remains highly relevant in the financial community, trust remains an issue in the post-crisis world. Continuing to wrestle with negative public sentiment, the brand has been criticized for leveraging tax policy loopholes in The Volker Rule, which was designed to prevent proprietary trading at large federally insured banks, and has come under fire with some financial law experts for relying too much on banks’ own self-reporting and self-regulation. In 2011, the brand became synonymous with Occupy Wall Street and is still a specific target for public frustration. While Goldman Sachs’ business appears strong, the brand continues on its downward trend with a decrease in brand strength with some analysts contending the brand has made business decisions in conflict with its brand values of integrity, fair dealing, transparency, professional excellence, confidentiality, clarity, and respect. The brand will need to manage its reputation carefully to avoid further damage. Public perception poses a particular risk as policy makers become more in tune with constituents’ perceptions. Poor public perception has also impacted the once golden image the Goldman Sachs brand carries as an employer, potentially creating problems in recruiting future top talent, particularly Millennials, something the brand currently uses as a differentiating point.

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational investment banking firm that engages in global investment banking,securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients.

Goldman Sachs was founded in 1869 and is headquartered at 200 West Street in the Lower Manhattan area of New York City, with additional offices in international financial centers. The firm provides mergers and acquisitions advice, underwriting services, asset management, and prime brokerage to its clients, which include corporations, governments and individuals. The firm also engages inmarket making and private equity deals, and is a primary dealer in the United States Treasury security market. It is recognized as one of the premier investment banks in the world,^[3][4] but has sparked a great deal of controversy over its alleged improper practices, especially since the 2007–2012 global financial crisis.

Former Goldman executives who moved on to government positions include: Robert Rubin and Henry Paulson who served as United States Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, respectively; Mario Draghi, President of theEuropean Central Bank; Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of Canada 2008–13 and Governor of the Bank of England from July 2013.