A board meeting was scheduled for 10 o’clock on Thursday morning. At 5 to
ten the boardroom started to fill. Right on cue the chairman strode into the room.
Chairman: “Good morning ladies and gentlemen. It’s time to get started.
I hope the agenda has been circulated. Our first item on the agenda is the results of
our negotiation concerning the purchase of the patent. I am giving the floor to our
marketing director”.
“Morning everyone”, David started. “From our source in the government we
learnt about the invention that had been filed for a patent and the scientist was
about to receive it. The time was pressing and we wanted to be the first to make an
offer to Mr. Brunoff and had not thought about other possible solutions. We
offered him two million dollars for his patent but were prepared to pay five. In our
preliminary talks on the phone Mr. Brunoff didn’t say either yes or no, but
definitely showed his interest. We agreed to meet personally and I flew to Nevada
on Tuesday night. We had a meeting yesterday. We got along quite well, but there
were problems… Somebody had got in before us and it had been all wrapped up by
the time I got there”.
“Is it a question of price?” the chairman intervened.
“I’m afraid, to a certain extent, it is. As I understood he had been suggested
setting up a joint venture and he agreed, because in the long run his profits would
make much more than 5 million dollars, especially if he continued streamlining his
invention”.
“Thank you, David. Are you taking the minutes, Miss Smith? We have to
write down our decision.”
“I wonder, how could there be a leak of information?” asked the Financial
director. “People usually keep mum before getting a patent. Perhaps the same
source has sold the information twice?”
“Or there could be a leak in our company,” the production manager
interrupted. Slowly those present exchanged glances.
Chairman: “It’s out of the question. Only two people knew about it – my son
and I. What about your personal assistant, David? She is a newcomer.” His father
was looking at him straight in the eye.
“I didn’t discuss it with her, I didn’t actually have time for it. She doesn’t
know anything, and besides she is a stranger here, she comes from England. Didn’t
I tell you about it? David said defiantly. Mr. Robinson didn’t reply and addressed
the board again:
Chairman: “Well, we’ll have to make a decision what to do in the
circumstances. Your contributions are welcome.”
“I agree we can’t afford to miss the opportunity,” the head of R&D
department joined the discussion. “To my mind our first step should be to send our
people to Nevada to investigate the deal and to learn everything possible about the
company that turned out to be quicker than us. Who is the head of the company
and who is backing them, their strengths and weaknesses, everything. I think we
must give instructions to our security department, and after we have learnt
everything we’ll work out a strategy.”
Chairman: “Any other suggestions?”
The boardroom was buzzing like a summer forest.
Chairman: “What is your opinion, James?” Mr. Robinson addressed the head
of the IT department.
James: “That is exactly what I think. I’m all in favour of that”.
Chairman: “Then I put this to the vote. Raise your hands those who are for
it… Against… Abstained… Is that unanimous? Good.
Now we can move to the second item on our agenda. I’m giving the floor to
the head of our PR department, Mrs. Garrison”.
Mrs. Garrison: “Ladies and gentlemen! I’ll begin with the general outline of
the coming event. As you remember this is a jubilee year of the White Rose Ball,
which has been held for 150 years already. It has always been attended by the best
people of our society. Our decision was to sponsor this event. Our department
together with marketing department has done a lot of work. The event has been
widely advertised for half a year and we hope it will have a good coverage in the
press. We have already invited journalists from major newspapers and magazines.
The highlight of the program is our charity auction. All the collected funds will go
to oncologic hospitals for children and on research in this field. We are going to
make a donation of a sculpture by Tseretelly, a famous Russian sculptor. I can show
you catalogues with a complete list of items for the auction. There are several
jewelry lots that will be demonstrated by our guests. I believe the event will be a
success and I want to encourage you to participate in the auction, bearing in mind
that charity activity can make you tax exempt”.
Chairman: “Thank you, Barbara. We’ll take it into consideration”.