Have not spoken to Dean Miller (my boss before Chase bought over Morgan in September 2000) for a month or so now. He called me in the morning to see him at his office in Capitol Towers building where Chase's offices are located.
Dean started meeting by discussing about discrepancy between the lists of junior staffs who do not have positions in the new organisation provided by me and Christopher Lim (a couple of weeks earlier). Sorted those out with him. A couple of phone calls interrupted the meeting. I told him that I was not happy with the lack of HR involvement although we've requested at few times that the HR rep Jacqueline Teo talk to the staff without a job. Dean then said that he too find that Jackie was not that good - unlike Anne Marie Yarwood (white Australian HR rep for Dean before merger). I told him that Anne Marie was the first HR rep we approached for assistance some months back but she was no better. Dean then gave the excuse that it was because she had a new role in the new organisaction!
During the phone interruptions I noticed that Dean's face was a bit pale and blueish, and told him so and asked how things were with him. He said that his mother was not well and things were not easy within the new combined organisation especially with the Business Management group that is responsible for dealing with support groups like middle office (which Dean is now in charge of) and operations. He said that he sometimes wondered if it was the right decision for him to stay back for a role in the new organisation which led nicely into the topic of my position within the new organisation.
Dean then asked what my plans are and if I've been looking for a job outside. I told him that I've not been looking because I was still holding out hope for a role. Dean said that he believe in being honest and forthright about things, and told me that though he tried he could not find a suitable position for me. He specifically mentioned that positions within Operations (headed by Sabha StClaire, an ex-Chase person) have all been filled - probably meaning that he tried to place me in Operations but to no avail. He suggested that I start looking outside now and he will be happy to help as he has connections that may be able to assist. He said that as far as he is concerned there was no hurry and asked me to work out an appropriate timing for my departure. As to retrenchment package, he said that that will include standard one month per year work and prorated bonus (IC). As to extra retention payment for staying back to assist with integration work, he said there was still no clarity yet. {Kuok Lay Hoon, Singapore country HR Manager for new bank, told me and Christopher Lim a month or so earlier that global guideline for extra retention will be 30% more pay for every month of retention}.
Dean also explained to me that the fact that I was not retained was not because of performance (my role in Morgan at time of merger was as Regional Middle Office and Operations Manager for Treasury business). It is just that it made more sense to have the support managers like Stephen Chang (Chase Middle Office Head who got to retain the job) to be in Hong Kong where the regional business manager Paul Kearhson was located. He then proceeded to say that although Stephen and his group were hard working and efficient, their work were focussed on day-to-day stuffs. The implication I got was that he was not very impressed with Stephen. To avoid commenting on that I merely smiled back and told him that he is the boss. He also mentioned that it is the same with his Singapore middle office manager (Shirley Ng of ex-Chase) but also said that they do have their strength. The example he gave was Shirley was able to have a response or ready output to any request by business by the next morning. Again I did not comment. Our meeting ended there.
Outside I passed by the desk of Cheryl Chan who used to work in the middle office but now working on some projects for Dean. She asked how things are with me and I told her about the meeting I just had about my impending retrenchment.
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