John Aidan Byrne Bob McCann Over a leisurely breakfast in an upscale hotel in Short Hills, New Jersey, on 5 October, Robert J. McCann, former president of Merrill Lynch's mighty thundering herd, sat down with Registered Rep. contributor John Aidan Byrne for this exclusive interview. A week before the interview, McCann settled a bitter lawsuit with Merrill parent company Bank of America over a non-compete agreement. The settlement frees McCann to return to work. Of his next assignment, McCann said he expects to be back in the financial services business in the New York area by the end of October. "I am excited to be going back to work," McCann said. But he sidestepped questions about reports that he's ready to take the reins at UBS' wealth management unit in the U.S. In this wide-ranging interview, McCann talks about his future plans, recruitment, bonuses and compensation, among many other things.