Overview

Gil Schwartz (May 20, 1951 – May 2, 2020), better known by his pen name Stanley Bing, was an American writer who blended sharp satire with close observation of corporate life. He gained national recognition through a long-running column in Fortune and through books that lampooned management fads and office behavior. In a parallel professional life he served as a senior communications executive, shaping public relations and corporate messaging for a major media company.

Career and writing

Schwartz wrote columns that appeared for more than two decades in Fortune and contributed to magazines including Esquire. Writing as Stanley Bing, he produced a steady output of essays, novels and business satire that targeted leadership clichés, corporate bromides and the absurdities of managerial culture. Over his career he published thirteen books, among them the widely read What Would Machiavelli Do? and the novel The Curriculum.

Corporate communications

Alongside his literary work, Schwartz pursued a senior executive career. He served as senior executive vice president of corporate communications and Chief Communications Officer at CBS, a role in which he oversaw media relations and strategic messaging. His combined experience as a corporate insider and satirist informed much of his material, giving his writing an insider’s authority alongside its comic edge.

Style, themes and influence

Stanley Bing’s voice was characterized by sardonic humor, blunt aphorisms and an appetite for exposing the gap between managerial rhetoric and everyday practice. He often explored subjects such as office politics, executive decision-making, career survival tactics and the mythology of leadership. His work appealed to readers both inside and outside business communities who recognized the archetypes he skewered.

Life and background

Schwartz was born in New York City and raised in New Rochelle, New York. He studied at Brandeis University, and later divided his time between professional responsibilities and writing. He died at home in Santa Monica, California, on May 2, 2020, from a heart attack at the age of 68.

Selected facts and legacy

  • Pen name: Stanley Bing; legal name: Gil Schwartz.
  • Longtime columnist for Fortune—a platform that brought his business satire to a wide audience.
  • Author of thirteen books, including What Would Machiavelli Do? and The Curriculum.
  • Senior communications executive and Chief Communications Officer at CBS, combining practical corporate experience with literary critique.

Schwartz’s dual identity as a corporate executive and a humorist allowed him to address the tensions and absurdities of modern work life with both insider knowledge and irreverent distance. His columns and books continue to be cited by readers looking for candid, often comical commentary on how organizations operate and how individuals navigate office hierarchies.