How well were ABN Amro and Barclays Connected Before the Merger?

According to IntellectSpace, only one common connection exists between the Board of Directors of Barclays and ABN AMRO. This signifies a weak relationship between the two firms and may jeopardize the merger talks between them. The following Knowledge Map shows the only common Board connection - between Matthew Hickman and Hans Joerg Rudloff via CSFB. Here is an interactive version of this Knowledge Map: http://nv.intellectspace.com/ispace/GuestMonitor.aspx?id=6cb553f2-de7c-4691-bf01-0ea99cc10de9 (View in IE Explorer 4.0+ only)

However, there is a strong relationship between the banks' executives. The Knowledge Map below shows that Lazard, Bank of New York, Lehman Brothers, and other financial institutions act as a common thread between ABN Amro and Barclays. And, for an interactive version of this Knowledge Map, navigate here: http://nv.intellectspace.com/ispace/GuestMonitor.aspx?id=bfc45643-41db-49a9-8182-46d2ed673bbe (View in IE Explorer 4.0+ only)