The job of a public company CFO is very complex and requires not only the balancing of a myriad of both internal and external pressures, but also addressing what he or she will do personally versus that which can be effectively delegated to others. Getting a team of highly skilled people who work well together as a team and with the rest of the company is key. Quite often a new CFO inherits a team that, although competent, doesn't work well together or doesn't mesh with his or her personal style and expertise. ... I am very fortunate at Vibrant to have inherited a team that meshes very well with my style in addition to being very competent and effective. That enables us to focus our time and attention on taking on new challenges as opposed to trying to find new talent.

A good day at work starts with a good workout and a good breakfast, and a brief visit with our CEO to see what is on his mind or agenda for the day. I always get through yesterday's e-mails while on the exercise bike in the morning, so I can dive right in whatever projects I am personally working on, or actively participate in meetings that are on my calendar for the day. I like a good balance of private time to work on my projects and interactive time in meetings. Normally, I eat lunch at my desk, and since I work in New York City and commute up weekly from Atlanta, I usually stay at the office until at least 7:30 unless there is a business dinner or function in the evening. I try to schedule a breakfast with a member of our sales or operations team once a week, and I enjoy business dinners with members of our team that are in from out of town. I learn a lot about the business in these informal breakfasts and dinners, and I get to know our team well in the process.

I believe you should manage process and projects and lead people, and I am a very strong proponent of an accountability culture. Once I build up trust and confidence in a person, I am very empowering and will delegate the full responsibility for issues to members of my team. We'll agree up front on desired results, milestones and accountabilities, and I am available at any time to discuss issues and support them in any way I can. If someone on my team requires being managed day-to-day they probably wouldn't be a good fit for my style. I am not a slave to formal staff meetings, as I am communicating with members of my team every day and have a very "open door" policy.