Mergers and acquisitions are often described by analysts as difficult. But unless you’ve lived through one, it’s hard to appreciate just how much work they really are. Spending a day with Lorna Hardie, newly appointed country manager for HP’s Networking division, gives some inkling. As well as the normal day-to-day work of keeping partners and customers happy, she has to oversee the local logistics of both a global restructure and the acquisition of 3Com.

Her first meeting on this particular Thursday is a presentation to global alliance partner KPMG.