FORTUNE — On Friday, Citigroup (C) said that its chairman Richard Parsons is stepping down. The departure has mostly been greeted with a job well done response. The New York Times headline was "With Citigroup Stabilized, Parsons Decides to Retire." The Wall Street Journal said Parsons had strengthened CEO Vikram Pandit's position at the firm, reinforcing the opinion that things had generally gone well under Parsons watch. Parsons himself said, "Given the strong position that Citi is in today, I have concluded that the time has come for me to take my leave." But Parsons' legacy at the bank is more complicated than that. Below are some ways to parse Parsons' tenure: