History Main / HonestCorporateExecutive

** It should be noted that, as distasteful as weapons manufacturing is to a lot of people, he was a pretty honest guy with those, too. Making for the US Armed forces, not (knowingly) ever providing for terrorists, etc.

* Michael Bluth from ''ArrestedDevelopment'' is this for the most part, although he occasionally slips up. It's especially admirable in contrast to how his (now imprisoned) father handled the position.

* [[VideoGame/DeusExHumanRevolution David Sarif]] is no angel and is certainly not afraid to use his wealth, charisma and power to further his own goals. However, he is shown to genuinely believe in uplifting humanity, is deeply concerned with his employeed and he does compare ''much'' better to his [[AncientConspiracy adversaries]], especially [[spoiler:[[CorruptCorporateExecutive Zhao Yun Ru]]]].

* [[DeusExHumanRevolution David Sarif]] is no angel and is certainly not afraid to use his wealth, charisma and power to further his own goals. However, he is shown to genuinely believe in uplifting humanity, is deeply concerned with his employeed and he does compare ''much'' better to his [[AncientConspiracy adversaries]], especially [[spoiler:[[CorruptCorporateExecutive Zhao Yun Ru]]]].

* [[DeusExHumanRevolution David Sarif]] is not an angel and is certainly not afraid to use his wealth, charisma and power to his own goals. However, he is shown to genuinely believe in uplifting humanity and he does compare ''much'' better to his [[AncientConspiracy adversaries]].

This can lead to a bit of FridgeLogic if this Exec's company is doing as well as, or better than, his corrupt rival. After all, even if the corrupt executive is motivated purely by greed, you would think he wouldn't KickTheDog unless it was profitable. In the worst case scenario, this can have the effect of either turning the CorruptCorporateExecutive into a CardCarryingVillain or making the HonestCorporateExecutive's business savvy an InformedAttribute, especially if the differences in their approaches are a central theme of the work. In the best case scenario, the different rates of success are portrayed as a result of the Honest Exec actually being a more talented businessman, whereas the less-talented Corrupt Exec needs to "cheat" to succeed.

* {{Tron}} universe: Walter Gibbs was more interested in science and development than day-to-day operations of his company. Unfortunately, that gave [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Dillinger]] an opening. [[ExposeTheVillainGetHisJob Flynn]] takes down Dillinger and gets to be one of these. TronLegacy rolls around and Alan Bradley is crossing this with OnlySaneMan in the Encom boardroom. Fortunately, [[spoiler: Sam did some needed growing up and will be taking his dad's old position after all]].

This can lead to a bit of FridgeLogic if this Exec's company is doing as well as, or better than, his corrupt rival. After all, even if the corrupt executive is motivated purely by greed, you would think he wouldn't KickTheDog unless it was profitable. This can have the effect of either turning the CorruptCorporateExecutive into a CardCarryingVillain or making the HonestCorporateExecutive's business savvy an InformedAttribute especially if the differences in their approaches are a central theme of the work.

* [[CarlBarks Scrooge]] [[KenoDonRosa McDuck]]. Call him a greedy bargainer, call him a slavedriving taskmaster, call him an exploitative manipulator... but he pride himself on earning his fortune "square" without being a dishonest and immoral businessman -- unlike his EvilCounterpart, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Flintheart Glomgold]]. Typical DependingOnTheWriter and CharacterizationMarchesOn caveats apply.

* The DuckTales version of Scrooge McDuck. Call him a greedy bargainer, call him a slavedriving taskmaster, call him an exploitative manipulator... But he does have a heart of gold, he really does care, and he's far from a dishonest and immoral businessman -- unlike his EvilCounterpart, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Flintheart Glomgold]].
** DependingOnTheWriter, other versions of Scrooge McDuck may have it either way. In some versions, his flaw seems to be not greed but rather a pathological hatred for his family -- the kind of hatred where you keep them close and do all in your power to make them miserable.

** DependingOnTheWriter, other versions of Scrooge McDuck may have it either way. In some versions, his flaw seem to be not greed but rather a pathological hatred for his family - the kind of hatred where you keep them close and do all in your power to make them miserable.

* In TomClancy's ''Debt of Honor'', Founder/Chairman of the Columbus Group of mutual funds George Winston is practically a saint, as are most of the Wall Street executives in the story. Somewhat of a HarsherInHindsight story these days considering the massive Wall Street greed and fraud of the Late-2000s financial crisis.

* {{Jerry Maguire}}. Full stop.

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* Sulley becomes one at the end of ''MonstersInc''.

* In the second ''KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', the Czerka docking manager became upset over the dirty actions of his boss and became an informant for the Telos Security force. His dirty boss wants him dead. TSF wants him to come out of hiding to testify against his boss. Your character decides his fate, of course.

* The DuckTales version of Scrooge McDuck. Call him a greedy bargainer, call him a slavedriving taskmaster, call him an exploitative manipulator... But he does have a heart of gold, he really do care, and he's far from a dishonest and immoral businessman - unlike his EvilCounterpart, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Flintheart Glomgold]].

* {{Tron}} universe: Walter Gibbs was more interested in science and development than day-to-day operations of his company. Unfortunately, that gave [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Dillinger]] an opening. [[ExposeTheVillainGetHisJob Flynn]] takes down Dillinger and gets to be one of these, but is too ChaoticGood to actually be happy with it. TronLegacy rolls around and [[LawfulGood Alan Bradley]] is crossing this with OnlySaneMan in the Encom boardroom. Fortunately, [[spoiler: Sam did some needed growing up and will be taking his dad's old position after all]].

* The DuckTales version of Scrooge McDuck. Call him a greedy bargainer, call him a slavedriving taskmaster, call him an exploitative manipulator, but he's far from a dishonest and immoral businessman, unlike his EvilCounterpart, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Flintheart Glomgold]].

* [[DuckTales Scrooge McDuck]]. Call him a greedy bargainer, call him a slavedriving taskmaster, call him an exploitative manipulator, but he's far from a dishonest and immoral businessman, unlike his EvilCounterpart, [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Flintheart Glomgold]].

* In ''GalaxyRangers'', a well-meaning mining executive wants the Rangers to hunt down {{SpaceWhale}}s that are threatening his miners. It's nothing against the whales, but he wants his people protected. When the Rangers and Space Peace (an AffectionateParody of Greenpeace) find an alternate solution where the whales avoid areas with mining in progress and leave behind a hydrocarbon gas that can be used as rocket fuel, the executive is delighted about everyone coming out ahead.

* Mr. Clamp from ''Gremlins 2: The New Batch''. He didn't like the idea of the genetic splicing, gives the vampire guy the job he always wanted, etc. ''And'' he helps save the day and builds a nice little suburb. "Clamp Corners, where life slows to a crawl".
* Like his comic book example above, [[Film/IronMan the film-version of Tony Stark]] becomes this after returning from being kidnapped.
* {{Tron}} universe: Walter Gibbs was more interested in science and development than day-to-day operations of his company. Unfortunately, thatgave [[CorruptCorporateExecutive Dillinger]] an opening. [[ExposeTheVillainGetHisJob Flynn]] takes down Dillinger and gets to be one of these, but is too ChaoticGood to actually be happy with it. TronLegacy rolls around and [[LawfulGood Alan Bradley]] is crossing this with OnlySaneMan in the Encom boardroom. Fortunately, [[spoiler: Sam did some needed growing up and will be taking his dad's old position after all]].
* Jeffrey Wigand, the tobacco company executive in ''TheInsider'' who blows the whistle on his company's suppression of scientific evidence about the harmfulness of smoking.
* {{Jerry Maguire}}. Full stop.

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* Despite jokes thanks to the Abridged Series, Seto Kaiba from ''{{Yu-Gi-Oh}}'' is an example of this, in contrast to [[CorruptCorporateExecutive his adoptive father]].

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