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                                                                   Exhibit 10.16


                  [LETTERHEAD OF DONALDSON, LUFKIN & JENRETTE]

October 30, 2000

Gates Hawn
Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
  Securities Corporation
277 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10172

Dear Gates:

As you know, Credit Suisse First Boston ("CSFB") and Donaldson, Lufkin &
Jenrette ("DLJ") have agreed to merge their businesses. In connection with that
merger we are pleased to offer you continuing employment with the combined
organization (the "Company"), contingent and effective upon the consummation of
the merger. If you accept this offer, your compensation for year 2000 and 2001
and your Retention Award will be as follows.

1.    You will receive a Retention Award in the amount of $12,000,000, pursuant
      to terms and conditions set forth in Exhibit A. The Retention Award will
      be made to you in the form of phantom shares representing an unsecured
      contractual right to receive an equivalent number of duly authorized and
      issued shares of Credit Suisse Group ("CSG"). Definitions applicable to
      this letter and to the Retention Award are set forth in Exhibit B.

2.    Your bonus for 2000 will be $8,000,000. Your bonus will be payable in cash
      when, and in the manner that the Company pays bonuses to employees
      generally. Any 2000 DLJ Long Term Incentive Plan (the "LTI") you receive
      shall vest upon the consummation of the merger and become fully payable on
      July 1, 2002 (at $314.67 per unit) so long as the Company has not
      terminated your employment for Cause and you have not resigned your
      employment with the Company (or given notice of resignation) prior to that
      date.

3.    The aggregate of your base salary, annual bonus and long term incentive
      plan awards for 2001 shall be no less than 75% of the aggregate base
      salary, annual bonus, and long term incentive plan award received or
      deferred for you for 1999, and such payments are subject to all of the
      Company's plans, policies, and practices as to payment of bonuses. This
      guaranteed compensation amounts to $6,937,500, which represents 75% of
      your 1999 aggregate compensation of $9,250,000 (base salary of $180,000,
      bonus of $5,000,000, and Long Term Incentive Plan (the "LTI") of
      $4,070,000). Any amounts paid to you in excess of the minimum shall be
      solely in the discretion of the Company. A portion of the bonus you
      receive for 2001 may be paid in the form of a deferred award under the
      Credit Suisse Group International Share Plan or a successor equity plan
      (the "Share Plan"). Details of the Share Plan will be provided to you
      separately.

4.    Notwithstanding the foregoing, you will not be entitled to receive any
      base salary or bonus payment following the date upon which your active
      employment with the Company


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      terminates for any reason, (or any bonus payment after you have given
      notice of your intent to terminate), unless your employment was terminated
      by the Company without Cause, in which case you shall be entitled to
      receive, to the extent not already paid, your bonus for 2000 and 2001
      (calculated by subtracting your annual base salary for each applicable
      year from your minimum total compensation for that year) when it otherwise
      would have been paid so long as you comply with paragraph 7.

5.    All amounts of compensation paid to you shall be paid subject to
      applicable taxes and deductions.

6.    Upon your becoming an employee of the Company you will be subject to all
      rules and policies of employment applicable to employees of the Company
      generally or at your level or in your position. In addition, you will be
      eligible to participate in all employee benefits plans and programs of the
      Company generally applicable to employees at your level and in accordance
      with their terms.

7.    You will be an employee at will and you or the Company may terminate the
      employment relationship between you and the Company at any time with or
      without Cause. Notwithstanding the foregoing, and effective upon the date
      hereof, you agree, until February 28, 2001, to provide three months'
      notice of your intent to terminate your employment with the Company and to
      refrain from engaging in Competitive Activity and/or Solicitation for a
      period of three months after the termination of your employment.
      Thereafter you agree to provide one month's notice of your intent to
      terminate your employment and to refrain from Solicitation for a period of
      one month after the termination of your employment. At all times, you
      agree to refrain from disclosing or using Confidential Information.

8.    The options you hold in the DLJ Stock Option Plan will be fully vested
      upon the signing of this Agreement, however, you agree to refrain from
      exercising any options to purchase shares of DLJ that you may have until
      after the consummation of the merger (expected to occur November 3, 2000)
      at which point your DLJ options will be exchanged for options to purchase
      CSG shares at the exchange ratio set forth in the merger agreement and on
      the same terms and conditions as your DLJ options. If the merger is not
      consummated, you will be fully vested in your options at the time of the
      announcement of the termination of the merger.

9.    This letter will not adversely affect any rights or obligations that you
      may have with regard to investment partnerships or deferred compensation
      pursuant to DLJ plans and programs which rights and obligations shall
      continue to be controlled by the terms of those plans and programs.

10.   This letter shall be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State
      of New York (without regard for the conflicts of laws principles thereof).
      Any disputes arising hereunder shall be resolved in accordance with the
      Company's dispute resolution policy.

11.   This letter represents the entire agreement between you and the Company
      regarding your compensation for 2000 and 2001. It may not be changed or
      terminated except in writing


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      signed by the parties. It shall be binding on the successors of DLJ and it
      may be assigned to CSFB after the consummation of the merger.

Please confirm your acceptance of the foregoing by signing and returning a copy
of this letter to the undersigned not later than October 31, 2000.

Yours sincerely,


/s/ Joe L. Roby
---------------------------
Joe L. Roby
President

Agreed and accepted:


/s/ [ILLEGIBLE]
---------------------------
Signature

GATES HELMS HAWN
---------------------------
Print Name

Date: 31 October 2000
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                                    Exhibit A

1. Terms

            A. Conditions for Receipt of Retention Award -- Until February 28,
2001, you agree to provide 3 months' notice of your intent to terminate your
employment with the Company (as defined below) and to refrain from engaging in
Competitive Activity and/or Solicitation for a period of three months after the
termination of your employment. Thereafter you agree to provide one month's
notice of your intent to terminate your employment and to refrain from
Solicitation for a period of one month after the termination of your employment.
At all times, you agree to refrain from disclosing or using Confidential
Information.

      B. Valuation - The number of phantom shares being issued to you will be
calculated by dividing the total initial value of the Award by the average
closing sale price of CSG Shares on a spot basis for the five trading days up to
and including the date of the consummation of the merger, and using the Swiss
Franc/US dollar spot rate on the date of consummation of the merger, both as
officially reported on the Swiss Exchange. You will not be entitled to dividend
equivalents or longevity premium awards in connection with these shares. In
certain locations, the Company may make arrangements for Retention Awards to be
issued by an employee trust.

            C. Vesting- The retention awards will be unvested at the date of the
            Award and will vest and become fully vested as follows:

                    Vesting                   Date of Vesting
                    Schedule
                    1/3                       July 1, 2001
                    1/3                       July 1, 2002
                    1/3                       July 1, 2003

      Phantom shares will be converted to CSG duly authorized and issued Shares
on a one to one basis and will be delivered to you after they vest subject to
the payment of all applicable taxes and so long as you are in compliance with
the restrictions set forth in (A) above. After delivery, shares will be entitled
to the receipt of applicable dividends. Vesting and delivery of the Retention
Award is not accelerated as a result of the consummation of the merger of the
businesses of Credit Suisse First Boston and Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, or
their parents, subsidiaries, and affiliates. You will be provided with details
of delivery procedures and applicable legal restrictions under separate cover.

            D. Termination of Employment

                  (i) Voluntary Resignation: unvested retention Awards will be
            forfeited; vested Awards will be delivered; in the event that a
            vesting date falls


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      within a notice period, a recipient will not be entitled to any shares
      scheduled to vest during that period.

            (ii) Death/Disability: next vesting date will be accelerated,
      remaining tranches will be forfeited.

            (iii) Normal Retirement: unvested retention Awards will become fully
      vested and delivered.

            (iv) Termination without Cause: if termination occurs before July 1,
      2001, vesting accelerates for the July 1, 2001 and the July 1, 2002
      tranches; if termination occurs on or after July 1, 2001, vesting
      accelerates for the July 1, 2002 and the July 1, 2003 tranches.

            (v) Termination with Cause: all Retention Awards will be forfeited.

            (vi) General: The grant of a Retention Award does not confer the
      right to continued employment.

      Any dispute under this Retention Award or otherwise will be resolved in
accordance with Credit Suisse First Boston's alternative dispute resolution
policy.


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                                    Exhibit B

                                   Definitions

"Cause" means, (i) a material breach by you of your obligations under this
agreement or any other written agreement between you and the Company (as defined
below); (ii) your willful and continued failure or refusal to perform
satisfactorily any duties reasonably required in the course of your employment
(other than a failure resulting from Disability); (iii) your violation of any
compliance policy of the Company applicable to employees of the Company; (iv)
the commission by you of a felony or serious criminal offence; (v) any violation
by you of federal or state securities laws or regulations (vi) the perpetration
by you of a dishonest act or common law fraud against the Company or any
customer or any client thereof; (vii) your violation of any policy applicable to
employees on drugs, controlled substance, and alcohol; or (viii) your willfully
engaging in misconduct which is materially injurious to the Company or to any
customer or client of the Company, as determined in good faith by the Company.

"Company" means the entity or entities found as a result of the combination of
the businesses of CSFB and DLJ together with their parents, subsidiaries or
affiliates.

"Disability" means termination of your employment as a consequence of being
deemed disabled under the employee benefits plans of the Company applicable to
you.

"Competitive Activity" means, with respect to any participant, that such
participant enters into any affiliation with any person, Company, partnership or
other business entity or enterprise which engages in any activity which is the
same as, or similar to, or in competition with, a business activity of the
Company, and/or its parents, subsidiaries and affiliates including, but not
limited to, the businesses engaged in by the Equities, Investment Banking, Fixed
Income, Private Equities, Retail and Capital Markets Divisions of the Company.
For the purposes of the foregoing "affiliation" with any entity or enterprise
shall mean any direct or indirect interest in such entity or enterprise, whether
as an officer, director, employee, partner, stockholder, sole proprietor,
trustee, consultant, agent, representative, broker, finder, promoter, or
otherwise; provided, however, that the acquisition of up to 5% for passive
investment purposes of any class of the outstanding equity, debt securities, or
other equity interest of any person, Company, partnership or other business
entity or enterprise shall not, in and of itself, be construed as an affiliation
with such person or entity or enterprise.

"Confidential Information" means any secret, confidential or proprietary
information which belongs to the Company or which such participant learned by
reason of his or her association with the Company.

"Normal Retirement" means retirement of a recipient from employment at age 60 or
later and a minimum length of service with the Company of three years.


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"Solicitation" means with respect to participant whose employment is terminated
that such participant solicits or endeavors to entice away from the Company, or
otherwise interferes with the relationship of the Company with any person who is
employed or engaged by the Company as an employee, consultant or independent
contractor or who was associated with the Company as a customer or client at any
time during the 6 month period preceding such termination of employment with
whom the participant had dealings and/or management responsibilities.


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