New Partners Can Each Take the Reins

As speculation mounted in the weeks leading up to last week’s announcement of a merger deal between MCI WorldCom and Sprint, some analysts worried that the corporate cultures of the two companies might not jibe.

After all, Sprint Chairman William Esrey is a former investment banker, and MCI WorldCom chief Bernie Ebbers was once a cowboy.

But as it turned out, the two have more in common than they thought. In fact, one of their key discussions took place while Esrey was on horseback near his Colorado ranch.

“I’m not the only cowboy anymore,” Ebbers declared at the news conference announcing his company’s planned $115-billion stock purchase of Sprint. “He doesn’t get credit for it, but Bill is every bit a cowboy as I am--in fact, we both have rented shoes on.”

Indeed, both executives are known risk takers. Esrey years ago led then-tiny Sprint into the long-distance business to face AT&T.; Ebbers has repeatedly staked his once-small company on mergers and big strategic endeavors.

And Esrey could easily have felt that Sprint’s fate was predetermined. After all, the Kansas City International Airport not far from Sprint headquarters carries this airport symbol: MCI.