Merrill Lynch’s brokerage chief, Robert McCann, has quit the securities firm, the Wall Street Journal reports. He is expected to be succeeded by a top deputy, Dan Sontag.

McCann, till recently, was vice chairman and president of Merrill’s global wealth management, and had designed a successful retention package to encourage brokers to stay on after the acquisition. His departure raises speculations about whether the big-spending culture of Merrill will blend with Bank of America’s conservative approach.

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