Will JPMorgan’s Directors Allow The Bank to Walk Away From its WTC Commitment?

(NewsVisual, powered by IntellectSpace) --JPMorgan Chase & Co (NYSE: JPM) signaled on Monday that it might not fulfill its stated option to move into the World Trade Center.

The Bank’s change in plans came on the heels of its market-shattering news concerning its buyout for $2 per share of its former competitor The Bear Stearns Companies Inc (NYSE:BSC).

The Wall Street Journal reported that JP Morgan will move its investment-banking operation to “the Madison Avenue skyscraper it is set to inherit as part of its $2-a-share acquisition of the troubled firm.” 

“Even if the deal to buy Bear Stearns falls through, J.P. Morgan will still have an option to buy the 43-story skyscraper,” the Journal article added.

The question of how the Bank’s Board of Directors will respond if an outcry of public pressure develops over its reneging on its commitment to move in the WTC remains unclear.

NewsVisual decided to create an IntellectSpace Knowledge Map in order to illustrate the business connections of JP Morgan’s Board of Directors as a method for assessing whether they have the experience to handle a public relations crisis.

The Knowledge Map shows that six of the bank’s Directors currently serve on other corporate boards.

The most noteworthy one is Director William H Gray III, who is also a Director for Dell Computer Corp, Pfizer Inc, Prudential Financial Inc, and Visteon Corp.

Likewise, the following three Morgan Directors are noteworthy for serving on more than one other corporate board: Director James S Crown is also a Director for General Dynamics Corp and Sara Lee Corp; Director Ellen V Futter is also a Director for American International Group Inc and Consolidated Edison Inc; and Director Robert I Lipp is also a Director for Accenture Ltd and The Travelers Companies Inc.

Click here for an interactive and fuller version of this IntellectSpace Knowledge Map

(Note: the information contained and presented in Knowledge Maps is public information from the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America).