“CEO is a corporate page-turner complete with ambition, betrayal, romance and greed. It is a slice of corporate life, from the viewpoint of the first woman to be appointed CEO of an industrial corporation. CEO is real life upped in pace, color, flavor and tempo. Possessing the ambition that is comparable to that of a man, Melissa Lynn Horn, ML to her friends, attacks her responsibilities with the zeal of a competitor fighting to turn around the fortunes of a corporation while fending off the treachery of a man who wants her job.
The only acceptable outcome is to win! But can she deal with the insecurities of an unexpected romance coupled with her corporate problems? In the end, the reader finds that being CEO empowers the woman.”
─ Linda Paternoster
Edition #43 – July 21, 2013
CEO
By Patricia E. Gitt
September 1998
“How in hell did a woman become CEO of UCC?” Pamela Green muttered to herself while negotiating past the long bar at Mickey’s, her favorite hideaway. The bright, young reporter for Economic World magazine always spoke to herself when sorting through a problem.
“What’s that?”
Looking toward the back of the restaurant, she saw Skip emerging from the kitchen. Her long-time buddy must have been helping Mickey, the owner, prepare tonight’s entrees, she thought. As the compact, athletic man ambled toward her, she saw a welcoming grin soften his lean face. Throwing a dishtowel over his shoulder, he enfolded her hands in his callused paws.
“Nothing. I’m having a one-sided discussion.”
She saw him nod in acknowledgment. They had been friends for ten years. Skip, a corporate dropout was always there to listen to one of her acerbic views of his former world. Then he’d tell her she was just parroting her profession’s liberal bias against big business, pat her on the shoulder, and, in his annoying way tell her that she knew better.
“Thank God your crowd doesn’t begin until 4. I need quiet, and a strong cup of Java.” Swinging her tote bag off her shoulder, she continued striding toward her usual booth, where a large mug of coffee sat waiting.
“How did you know I’d be by today,” she said, seeing the coffee was freshly poured and steaming. It was as if Skip knew things about her before she did, and the accuracy of his observations was unsettling.
“I saw you a block away. I knew something was bugging you when you walked into the corner mailbox.”
The concern on his handsome Irish face told her she was more upset by her upcoming appointment than she had realized.
“Yeah. I get that way when I’m trying to reconcile a shot at some major bucks with my journalist’s ethics.”
“Oh? And which one of your rigid principles are you about to break?”
“Never mix money and business. It could screw up my reporter’s rep.”
Settling into the booth, she was glad Skip was slipping into the facing seat. It wasn’t often he could stop what he was doing to join her. He took his responsibilities as the owner’s son seriously. Beginning his non-stop day at 9 AM and not letting up till closing at 2 the next morning.
“What’s really eating you?”
“I have an interview in forty-five minutes with the VP of Public Affairs at United Chemicals Corporation. I’m doing a book on their new CEO. Would you believe it’s a woman?” Panicked, her flushed faced looked up at him…
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Patricia E. Gitt is enjoying her second career as an author of novels featuring business women balancing dynamic careers with their private responsibilities. Raised in Kings Point, New York, she earned her BS degree from the University of Vermont and an MBA from Fordham. She is a former Chapter President of American Women in Radio and Television and was listed in editions of “Who’s Who of American Women”, “Who’s Who in Finance and Industry”, and “Who’s Who in Professional and Executive Women.”
Having had a successful career in public relations, during which she worked with business leaders in finance, healthcare, fashion and pharmaceutical industries, she met many of the outstanding business women of our time.
Patricia is currently working on a third novel, TBD-to be determined in which her heroine is thwarted by her boss, a paranoid older woman. Already stressed, Katherine is suddenly called on to assist the company’s chief executive in his efforts to quietly track down the blackmailer who forced one of his trusted staff to embezzle company funds. The company’s founder swears her to secrecy and instructs her not to use any of the company’s computers, phones or printers, for fear of leaks. Katherine is also instructed to keep any and all information about the assignment from her boss. As the race is on to identify the blackmailer and restore the funds heightens, Katherine becomes part of the investigative team and moves even further into conflict with her boss. Will she survive? Will she finally get out from under her boss? These questions, and more, are yet To Be Determined.