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.