Can this merger be saved?

In this fictional case study, a merger that looked like a marriage made in heaven to those at corporate headquarters is feeling like an infernal union to those on the ground. The merger is between Synergon Capital, a U.S. financial-services behemoth, and Beauchamp, Becker & Company, a venerable British financial-services co mpany with strong profits and an extraordinarily loyal client base of wealt hy individuals. Beauchamp also boasts a strong group of senior managers led by Julian Mansfield, a highly cultured and beloved patriarch who personifi es all that's good about the company. Synergon isn't accustomed to acquiring such companies. It usually encircles a poorly managed turnaround candidate and then, once the deal is done, dro ps a neutron bomb on it, leaving file cabinets and contracts but no people. Before acquiring Beauchamp, Synergon's macho men offered loud assurances t hat they would leave the tradition-bound company alone-provided, of course, that Beauchamp met the ambitious target numbers and showed sufficient enth usiasm for cross-selling Synergon's products to its wealthy clients. In charge of malting the acquisition work is Nick Cunningham, one of Synerg on's more thoughtful executives. Nick, who was against the deal from the st art, is the face and voice of Synergon for Julian Mansfield. And Mansfield, in his restrained way, is angry at the constant flow of bureaucratic forms , at the rude demands for instant information, at the peremptory changes. H e's even dropping broad hints at retirement. Nick has already been warned: if Mansfield goes, you go. Six commentators advise Nick on how to save his job by bringing peace and p rosperity to the feuding couple. Reprint 99103.