Advani: As I said before, at one of our first meetings, Yuanqing Yang, Lenovo Chairman, said trust and respect and compromise are three important words. Whenever we come together as a team, we should trust each other and respect each other and compromise with each other.

Yong Tang: Do you need to report to Yuanqing Yang to make marketing decisions?

Advani: No. I have been making decisions every day. We are a fast moving entrepreneurial company.

Of course I spend a lot of time with Yuanqing Yang on the strategy. We discuss and we debate and we argue. Chairman and CEO cannot get involved with all the decisions that are made on a daily basis. One of the reasons I believe Lenovo will be successful is that the senior leadership is very strong. Once everyone is in agreement with the overall strategy, people execute.

Yong Tang: Is IBM PC business and Lenovo complimentary?

Advani: Yes. If you look at the marriage between HP and Compaq, they have overlapping product lines, overlapping customer services, overlapping in the countries where they operate. Say, I am a sales guy in Chicago and another guy came to me and say, we are in the same company now, who is going to serve these customers? Is me or you? We don't have the same problems with the new Lenovo.

Yong Tang: To what extent the culture difference may affect the growth of the new company after two companies from different countries merge?

Advani: COUNTRY culture is not as important as the COMPANY culture. IBM has a corporate culture that stands for customer service, innovation and trustworthiness and integrity. Lenovo also believes the same values. Since we have commonality in corporate culture, that is much more important than country culture. If our corporate culture were not aligned, we would have much more difficulty and much more conflict. The number one reason of why merger and acquisitions don't work and don't deliver expected benefit is that company cultures are very very different. That is why you would have a lot of conflict.

Yong Tang: Do you have any suggestions for Chinese companies who are looking forward to merging with American companies?

Advani: They should buy Lenovo PC, that is the first message. (Laugh) It takes a lot of wisdom and maturity to know what it may take from different sides. You have to go into this with a very open mind. I may have to do differently to grow in the United States or in Japan or in Germany. Having that awareness and making sure you clearly understand what are the skillsets we bring to the table and what are some of the additional skills I need to acquire. As long as people go into that with an open mind then as the world is getting flat I would expect more similar deals to happen in the future. There are a lot of lessons to be learned by observing what Lenovo is doing and what we are going to do. Lenovo can be a very good teacher.

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