excerpt
“Which issues are you referring to, Peter? Do you mean a dynamic, perhaps
more aggressive management team? Are you not 100 percent happy with
Lorne?”
Peter agrees that a change in direction could give them a much better market
share for their products and a different management team, a more aggressive
team, could get them better results with strategic alliances. Also, he says he has
issues with the current boss.
Hakim looks at him and asks,
“Peter, would you like to drive this company? If your answer is yes, are
you able to move it in a direction that will give us what we like faster? If the
answer to both questions is yes, let me tell you, I could put this company on
your lap anytime you like. However, I need your word that everything will go
our way; I want to have your loyalty for a long time, no questions asked. Are
you with me?”
Peter Bradshaw sees the opportunity he has been looking for for many
months dropping into his lap, yet he doesn’t know what Hakim can do. Does he
suddenly have the ability to buy Lorne out?
“Explain yourself, Hakim. I’d like to know more before I commit to
something.”
“This is what you need to know. My uncle, Talal, and I control this company.
I have the required votes to take the company from Lorne anytime, at any
shareholder’s meeting, and that means we could call an extraordinary meeting at
any time. Our regular meeting is due soon anyway. It’s our choice; I don’t want
to run with this company myself because I see my responsibilities increasing in
other areas, so I need a very capable CEO to run this for me. I see before me one
very capable CEO, right now. So the question again is: are you with me, Peter, or
not?”
Now everything is clearer in Peter’s mind. Hakim wants to take control of the
company away from Lorne. That’s fine with him; he can live with Hakim better
than he can live with Lorne. On the other hand, there is always someone above
you, no matter what.
Hakim’s phone rings; it’s Trisha.
“George Pappas is on the phone, Hakim, your real-estate agent.”
“Thanks Trisha, put him through, please.”
“Hello, George, what do you have for me today?” Hakim asks and nods to
Peter to wait a minute.
George Pappas tells him that he has found something spectacular, the best
unit he has ever seen. It’s by the water, only two years old, with spectacular water
views to the west. But he needs him to go and look at it today, right now.
Libros Libertad 