E-Book, Englisch, 192 Seiten
ISBN: 978-1-907642-11-1
Verlag: Elliott & Thompson
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark
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Team Move
‘1 MILLION A year, guaranteed for three years.’ ‘Jesus Christ! You’ve got my attention.’ She could not help smiling, and sat back in her chair, taking a moment to sip her wine. She had deliberately insisted on a corner table where they could not be overheard. She had been nervous approaching Mark, her deputy, in case it backfired. If he went running off to tell the board, she would be in deep water. ‘You’d still be my number two, but you’d join as a managing director on a base salary of a hundred and thirty. All the usual perks, plus I told them they’d have to give you the car of your choice, knowing what a speed freak you are.’ He laughed. ‘Are you serious? Any car?’ ‘Well, within reason. I specifically mentioned the new 911, and they said it wouldn’t be a problem.’ He looked at her curiously. ‘How long have you been planning this?’ It was her turn to laugh. ‘They first approached me through a headhunter six months ago. I played hard to get, but I soon realised they were serious. Barton’s don’t have a convertible team at all, and we’re one of the top three teams in the City by pretty much any measure. But I couldn’t do it on my own. I need you, and I need most of the rest of the team.’ ‘A team move? They want to lift the whole team?’ She nodded. ‘Lock, stock and barrel. They’ll take everyone we think we need.’ ‘Okay, so how do we do it?’ She paused. This was the tricky bit. ‘Well, I won’t pretend it’ll be easy. And I’m counting on you to play a pivotal role. The difficulty I face is that as a managing director my legal and contractual responsibilities are much more onerous than yours. If I act against the firm’s best interests, they can nail me. And to be frank I have a higher profile. You’re in a much better position. And the team look to you for day-to-day leadership. You hired most of them before I even joined the firm. Sure, they respect me, but I was just the hotshot the firm brought in to stir things up. You’d been there for almost five years before I even started. Do you feel up to it?’ He paused, looking pensive. Oh God, she thought to herself, I hope I haven’t blown it. He nodded. ‘Sure. I can do it.’ He called across to the waiter, indicating his empty gin and tonic glass. ‘Waiter – mine’s a large one!’ She had heard him say that a dozen times before, and laughed now with relief as much as genuine humour. ‘Well it would be, wouldn’t it? Now, let’s think who to approach first.’ They met again a few days later. She would not discuss it at all in the office, and was paranoid about the lawsuits that would surely fly if it leaked. ‘How’s it going?’ He laughed. ‘So far, it’s easy. Jack, Nico and Ben are on board. All three will need guarantees, but two years will be fine. Ben will have to go up to senior manager. I said we’d raise their base salaries by twenty per cent. I’m waiting to hear back from Sandy.’ ‘Brilliant, well done! Any problems with Sandy?’ ‘There won’t be once I tell him the rest of us are off to Barton’s whatever he decides.’ ‘Okay, keep me posted. What else do we need to worry about?’ ‘I want to see my offer letter from Barton’s. I can’t take the risk of resigning without it.’ ‘I know, leave it to me. Let’s get together again on Monday night.’ She sat in the corner worrying, checking and rechecking her watch. He arrived fifteen minutes late, breathless. ‘Sorry, got held up. I was chatting to Roger.’ ‘Any problems?’ ‘None at all, it’s sweet as can be. Sandy, Ian and Martin are on board. Roger, too, I think, but he wants to sleep on it overnight.’ ‘Have you got the numbers?’ ‘Sure – here.’ He handed over a list of what he had agreed with the team. Against each name was a title and job description, base salary and guaranteed bonus number, with either a two or a three against it to indicate the number of years that would be guaranteed. She glanced down the list. For a moment he looked concerned. ‘It’s a lot, but it’s right for the team.’ She smiled, looking at the totals at the bottom of the list. ‘Don’t worry, it’s well within budget. If we can do this so cheaply we may have to look again at our own packages.’ He looked at her, hesitated and then asked, ‘What is your package?’ She looked surprised, and he thought he saw the faintest hint of a blush. ‘Mark, I can’t tell you that. It wouldn’t be right. I shall still be your boss, after all.’ ‘I know, but I feel right now as if I’m the one taking all the risks. I feel as if I should be more like your partner in all this than your number two.’ ‘Mark, let’s get something straight. I’m the boss. You’re my number two. An important number two, but still number two. I’ve got you a fabulous package. Think what you’ll be able to do with that kind of money. If you’re not sure you want to do this, say so now.’ ‘Of course I still want to do it, but you forget I’m having all these conversations and I haven’t even seen my offer letter yet.’ ‘Leave that with me. I’m on the case.’ Over a week passed before they met again. ‘What’s going on? Why the delay? We’re losing momentum and I need those offer letters to give to the team. Doing things this way is fine, but if the guys are expected to come in on our coat tails without even having interviews with the Barton’s people, then they need those letters. Where are they?’ ‘Relax. I’ve got them. Well, almost all of them. Here.’ She passed a stack of envelopes across the table. He leafed through them and looked up at her. ‘Where’s mine?’ ‘Ours are both delayed. It’s nothing to worry about. Because we’re joining as MD’s our appointments have to be blessed by their senior appointments board. It’s a formality. We’ll have ours by the end of the week.’ He looked her in the eye. ‘Jane, just how certain are you of this? Once I start handing these out, the team will go ahead and resign, and we could be hung out to dry.’ She laughed. ‘Look, I’ve met the guys from Barton’s. They’re serious people, long-term, heavyweight, they don’t dick people about. You distribute the letters to the team, and I tell you what, I’ll resign anyway, even without my offer letter. You go in after me.’ He looked at her. ‘Okay, it’s a risk, but let’s do it.’ He raised his glass to her. ‘Success!’ ‘Wealth!’ The chairman’s office was on the twentieth floor, with a spectacular view across the City to St. Paul’s. She took a deep breath, knocked and entered. ‘Ah, Miss Leach. How are things on the convertible desk?’ ‘Very good, thank you, Sir Arnold.’ She was surprised to see Mike Hatchett, the Group Legal Adviser, sitting in the corner. ‘Sir Arnold, I wanted to have a word with you, preferably in private, if I may.’ ‘By all means, my dear, but first I have something to say to you.’ She was startled. ‘I’m afraid, my dear, I have bad news for you. I’m having to let you go. You see, you’ve been rather naughty, haven’t you?’ She swallowed. What did he know? Who had leaked it? She had no choice now, she was committed. She would have to carry on regardless. ‘Sir Arnold, I don’t know what you’re talking about. But I may as well say to you what I intended anyway. I’m resigning. I have here a formal letter of resignation.’ She placed an envelope on his desk. He looked at her and without opening the envelope, picked it up and dropped it in the bin by the desk. ‘No, my dear, you’re not resigning. I’m dismissing you from the firm for cause. Effective immediately. Mike has an envelope for you here, outlining the legal and financial implications of the termination of your employment. Obviously you lose your stock options, your unvested shares, and your pension rights. I’m afraid you tried to be too clever. And that doesn’t always pay, you know.’ She heard the door opening behind her and turned to see who had entered. ‘Mark! What are you doing here? I haven’t finished yet.’ Mark was smiling. ‘I think you are finished, Jane. I think you’re completely finished. You see, the team aren’t going anywhere. You played a stupid, dumb, greedy game. I never rated you from the moment you arrived, and I don’t rate you now. You wanted me to poach you a team, and then you would have hung me out to dry. Left me behind. Well, I’m not as stupid as you think.’ He looked towards Sir Arnold. ‘I value loyalty, and so does this firm. I don’t need to move to...
