Vantaggi
Due to thre recent acquisition of Lehman Brothers' NA operations, Barclays Capital can compete against the likes of Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. In addition, the firm's balance sheet allows the group to lend on more favorable terms to deals that are identified as strong relationship clients. The placement of Skip McGee (from Lehman) as the head of Investment Banking should position the group for future success. In addition, given the lack of competition from the likes of pure investment banks, as they have all disappeared, Barclays Capital will be able to gain a strong market share in areas such as M&A, IPOs, etc.
Svantaggi
The senior management team lacks clarity, does not effectively communicate the group's direction and focus and are spineless. I was let go in October 2008 as a result of the integration with Lehman Brothers; however, a majority of the people let go during this time were junior staff identified by their managers (and since I did not get along with manager, I was identified). In addition, the Company's procedures were constantly changing and a process was never truly defined, as the policies were constantly revolving. The biggest complaint from my manager was my lack of awareness of policies and procedures - it's hard to keep track when it constantly changes.