Two manufacturing companies in different cities—Company A and Company B—have recently undergone a merger but...

Two manufacturing companies in different cities—Company A and Company B—have recently undergone a merger but will continue operating separately for the immediate future. Company B did not have a talent development (TD) department, so the TD professional who reported to the chief executive officer (CEO) of Company A before the merger will now report to the CEOs of both companies. The TD professional is asked by the CEO of Company A to put together a team-building program to get the employees from both companies to work well together.

The TD professional has a meeting with the CEO of Company B, who believes the training should be postponed for at least six months so the two groups of employees can operate autonomously as if the merger had not happened.

What should the TD professional do?