The New York Stock Exchange is pressing Dennis Weatherstone, the retired J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. Inc. head, to become its new chairman, the Wall Street Journal said on Tuesday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
Weatherstone, 73, was named to NYSE's new independent board of directors in December. He would succeed interim Chairman John Reed, who took on the position in late September following the ouster of former NYSE Chairman and Chief Executive Richard Grasso amid a public outcry over his pay package.
Weatherstone has already turned down the post once and may decline again, the paper said. But incoming NYSE CEO John Thain hopes to persuade him to take the job, the paper cited the person familiar with the search as saying.
Thain and Weatherstone are expected to discuss the offer this week, it said.
The NYSE and Weatherstone could not immediately be reached for comment.
