Shattered Covenants Book VI
The House of Harwell
by
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“What’s all this going to cost the shareholders of Dungler Technologies, Baxter?”
CEO Alice Dungler asked.
“I believe we can do a first rate job for $500,000, Alice. Our out-of-pocket expenses would be over and above the fee.”
“Nothing you do, Baxter, is with $500,000. Give me another number.”
“$499,000.”
“That’s a start, but I expect a hell of a lot more movement. You should pay me to do this work. You’re going to milk the hell out of it for media publicity. Just remember Baxter, you will be required to sign an iron clad confidentiality agreement on any work you do for Dungler Technologies and I’ll sue your ass from here to China if there are any leaks.
$150,000 is what this assignment is worth. Do it for 150 and the work is yours, Baxter.”
I would recommend that you consider other consulting resources. Compare reputation, quality of service along with pricing, Alice”
“I’ve got Grace Group’s High technology Industry specialist coming in next week. Do it for 150 and I’ll cancel him out.”
“Alice, you have our fee estimate.”
“Suppose I call Floyd and ask him to have you do it for 150. He’s lusting to have McKenzie Barber do consulting for Dungler Technologies. Do I have to call Floyd?”
“He’ll want to sit in on all of the meetings and spend a lot of personal time with you,” Baxter cautioned.
“A fate worse than death just to save a few bucks for our shareholders. Suppose I go to 200?”
“I’ll come down to 450.”
“Your old buddy Frank Alvardi told me over the phone that he could get it done for 250.”
“Frank is highly skilled at renegotiating fee in mid-engagement. He taught me all I know.”
“250 is my final number, Baxter. I’ll let you fudge a little on the out-of-pocket so you can make up some margin.”
I’ll do it for 250 provided my client, Mr. Harwell, doesn’t view it as a conflict of interest.”
“He won’t. Document what you have on those napkins and write me a draft engagement letter with a 250 fee cap. When you have the letter right, I’ll sign it and you can get started. It goes without saying that I expect you to do the work with New York people. I don’t want Floyd Piper to have anything to do with our work, and I want no San Francisco people on the engagement. Everybody who has access to our confidential documents must sign a non-disclosure agreement.”
“It will be done, Alice,” Baxter agreed.
Alice slid into the back seat of her car. “I’m going the other way, Baxter. I’m sure you can get a cab. Send your letter in care of my private box number. It’s on my card. Now don’t forget to write.”
This was different from their last meeting, Baxter observed.
* * * * * * * * * * *
“Mr. Harwell,” Hakim Selim said, “I came to this luncheon in order to discuss Dungler Technologies not to apply for a position with Harwell Management.”
“I believe we have concluded our discussion relative to Dungler Technologies in good order, Hakim. We have now moved to a new subject. The question is whether you will entertain coming to Harwell Management as Chief Investment Officer? Please note that I said ‘entertain’. I haven’t offered you the position. But I have asked you to entertain an offer.”
Hakim smiled a broad smile and he turned his hand open. “Entertain coming to Harwell
Management. Of course I would entertain joining Harwell Management. But I must warn you in advance that I’m unlikely to do it.”
Leon Harwell carefully folded his napkin and placed it on his plate.
“I have another appointment, Joe. Would you please work out some preliminary details with Hakim and determine how we can move this discussion along.” Leon Harwell stood up from his chair and shook Hakim’s hand.
“Candidly discuss your conditions with Joe, Hakim, and then the three of us can have a dinner one evening at the Gotham Club.”
Leon Harwell exited the room without another word, leaving Baxter facing Hakim. In front of Hakim were a partially consumed serving of raspberries and a cup of coffee. Hakim, darkly handsome with expressive eyes and slightly greying hair, was wearing a smartly tailored London suit. He took a silent sip of his coffee and smiled at Baxter.
“What does Leon Harwell really know about me? This is our second lunch. We’ve had our breakfast, and we had a drink in the corner at the reception of the last New York Economic Club meeting. Now he wants me to entertain an offer as Chief Investment Officer for Harwell Management. Our first meeting was ten months ago. How many times has this job been offered?”
“None,” Baxter answered.
“What make Leon Harwell believe I would consider this job?”
“It is an opportunity to serve as Chief Investment Officer for one of the great family fortunes in the country. The Chief Investment Officer will become the President of Harwell Management when Mr. Leon steps down. My instructions have been to be prepared to develop sufficient incentives to attract and retain the Investment Manager
we hire for the rest of his career.”
“I’ll ask again. What does Mr. Harwell really know about me?”
“Everything he wants to know,” Baxter responded. He thought back to the report folders that had been developed on Hakim Selim by Leon Harwell’s outside background investigation firm. The wording of the reports would indicate that the investigation firm had a long standing relationship with Leon Harwell. Baxter wondered if Harwell had ever developed a similar report on him.
“He certainly isn’t our man,”Harwell had commented when he passed the report to Baxter.
There was nothing in the report that was especially shocking or surprising to Baxter.
Hakim Selim was 39 and the second oldest son of a Moroccan Jewish trading family. He had gr
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About the Book
About the Author
Dwight Foster, the author of Shattered Covenants, is a native of Minnesota who was transferred to New York City in 1980. He retired as a consulting partner from an international public accounting firm in January 1990 to form an executive search firm.
Shattered Covenants is a first novel, which represents an eight year project dealing with the passing of leadership in a professional services firm. The House of Harwell is Book VI in a series of free standing novels------ Earlier Books in the Shattered Covenants series include: Present & Past Imperfect, The Road to McKenzie Barber, The Partner, and The Chairman.
Earlier Books in the Shattered Covenants series include:
Present & Past Imperfect, Book I
The Road to McKenzie Barber, Book II
The Consultant, Book III
The Chairman, Book IV
Book VI: The House of Hartwell and Book VII: Twighlight & Endgame are planned for publication later in 2003.
Shattered Covenants deals with the passing of CEOs (i.e. kings) and their ultimate effect on the careers and lives of the courtiers and rank and file professionals who follow the leadership of the CEO.
The author has spent his business career in the consulting industry and, for the past eleven years, has headed up a well-recognized executive search firm. Dwight Foster has published previously in management studies and magazine articles and is quoted from time to time in the national press. His experience in the practice of executive search and familiarity with organization and business models over the past thirty years provided the motivation to write a sweeping novel. The primary narrator of Shattered Covenants, Joseph Baxter, Jr., is the son of a labor martyr from Minnesota’s Iron Range who rises to a Board Room, world traveling executive compensation consultant. Baxter is a modern day Candide who develops the cunning to survive in a ruthlessly competitive business world.
Dwight Foster is a University of Minnesota Alumnus, the father of two adult children, and is married to Dorothy Choitz Foster, a well-known consultant to the cosmetics and fragrance industry. The Fosters now are New York commuters and maintain their home in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.