Two large financial institutions with different corporate cultures are engaged in a merger. From a governance perspective, which of the following should be the GREATEST concern?

Technology infrastructure integration is a significant *operational* challenge in mergers, but it's a technical consequence that stems from broader strategic and governance decisions, including risk appetite.

Differing corporate cultures directly imply differing risk appetites, which is a critical governance concern, especially for financial institutions. An inconsistent risk appetite can lead to conflicting decision-making, regulatory non-compliance, unmanaged exposures, and potential financial instability, overriding concerns about technology or operational costs.

The combined cost of operations is an important *financial* consideration in a merger, but it is a metric influenced by strategic decisions and risk tolerance rather than the core governance concern itself.

Enterprise architecture (EA) integration is a complex technical and strategic task, but it is a means to achieve business objectives. Differing risk appetites can impede the ability to agree on and implement a unified EA that satisfies both entities' comfort levels.