Will John Mack open the floodgates?" This was the question being asked along the Sotogrande cocktail party circuit this week as the new CSFB supremo was reported to be asking certain key executives to take a voluntary pay cut. Those high on the list were said to include CSFB's high tech banking genius, Frank Quattrone, some investment bankers from DLJ and the bond group headed by Jack Dimaio who threatened to move to Barclays Capital. The confrontation between John Mack and the CSFB high-rollers promises to be one of the most interesting in years. What is already clear is that Mr Mack has the total support of Lukas Muhlemann, the chairman of Credit Suisse. Mack has been given a mandate to "clean house" and if that means breaking a few bones, who cares?
August 10, 2001