A person who has no particular skill or specialist
knowledge, but who is regarded as capable of doing reasonably well across a range of responsibilities; and whose principal value to a business is an ability to absorb new information quickly. Often working in financial services, a spongible person
will never
set the market alight, but is ideal for fighting fires.
Banker 1: Tyson has lost the
bank millions, we need to appoint someone who can quickly grasp the issues but won't be missed in his current job and won't
go after mine.
Banker 2: Use
Will: he's spongible.