Ahead of the deal: Merck and Schering-Plough set to vote on merger Friday

On Friday, shareholders for Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) and Schering-Plough Corp. (SGP) set to vote on a $41 billion merger. In the meantime, the two companies appear to be doing some house cleaning.

One of the first orders when such a deal goes through is to shake up top management, with many entrenched brahmins losing their position in the name of synergies, cost savings and so on. It is already known that Merck CEO Richard Clark plans to keep the top job, but he has also stated that he will announce a new structure and leadership team by late August.