Not Suited for Wall Street?

0

Now that Monrovia prepaid debit card company Green Dot Corp. is operating a bank – it announced the launch of online-only GoBank earlier this month – it looks as if Chief Executive Steven Streit might have to make a trip to Brooks Brothers.

During a recent interview on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street,” Streit, 50, wore a red and navy argyle sweater, which led to some ribbing from anchor Carl Quintanilla.

“You might want to work on the banker uniform,” Quintanilla told Streit during the interview. “You know, we’re not used to argyle sweaters in this business.”

Streit said he’s sure Quintanilla was just kidding, but he allowed that he probably didn’t look the part of a banker, at least not one from Wall Street.

“They’re right – the business uniform for a banker in New York is a dark pinstripe suit and a red tie, and I wasn’t wearing that,” he said. “At Green Dot, we’re fairly casual. I don’t make anyone wear suits and ties. I don’t think anyone does in California.”

Hollywood’s ‘Big Dogs’

When Frank Mottek attended the Golden Globe Awards last year, the big draw was the dog Uggie from the movie “The Artist.”

But at this year’s ceremony, “it was the big dogs in the entertainment business getting all the attention,” Mottek reported.

Attending were Christopher Dodd, the former senator who’s now chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America; Universal Studios President Ron Meyer; NBC Chairman Ted Harbert and CBS Chairman Leslie Moonves.

“All in good spirits,” Mottek said, probably because 2012 was a record box-office year.

“Everyone wanted to see ‘Les Miserables’ star Anne Hathaway and the ‘Les Mis’ party was so packed to overflowing, they ended up closing it to additional guests. Luckily, I had the chance to see her at a pre-Golden Globe party at Spago the night before.”

Mottek stopped Steven Spielberg and congratulated him on his movie “Lincoln.”

“He was walking in with Sally Field, who looked amazing,” Mottek said.

Mottek, well known to L.A.’s business people because he is host of the “Business Hour” on KNX-AM (1070), didn’t have to make any presentations at the ceremony; he attended as a guest. But that’s not to say he didn’t work.

“I did some heavy duty networking, rounding up potential guests for the ‘Business Hour,’” he said.

Staff reporter James Rufus Koren contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by Editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].

No posts to display