Merrill chief said to eye Euronext exec

John Thain may bring aboard a key officer from NYSE Euronext as he takes the helm at Merrill Lynch, The Wall Street Journal reported. Nelson Chai, finance chief at NYSE Euronext, is in talks to take on a key post at Merrill Lynch, insiders told the Journal. There is a possibility that he will be named chief financial officer of the firm, the sources said. However, the details were still being worked out yesterday, and Mr. Chai may decide to stay with NYSE Euronext, the Journal said. Mr. Thain, who succeeds ousted chief executive E. Stanley O’Neal, will probably hire a few other upper-level managers, but won’t make an overhaul of the executive team, sources told the Journal. Mr. Chai would be Mr. Thain’s first major hire there at the New York-based firm. A spokeswoman for Merrill Lynch said the firm had no comment.