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If you had told Brian Gladden in 2006 that he would shortly be working for a Saudi crown prince, the 14-year GE finance veteran may have replied using a shorthand equivalent to \u201cwhen pigs fly.\u201d

As a GE finance executive, Gladden had served in a string of senior roles, including a number in which he reported directly to GE CEO Jeff Immelt.

Nevertheless, when GE announced in 2007 that it had signed a definitive agreement to sell GE Plastics to Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) in a deal valued at $11.6 billion in cash, flying pigs no doubt appeared before Gladden\u2019s eyes.

\u201cBrian and his world-class team now have the right resources to truly transform this industry globally,\u201d reads a comment from a GE press release announcing the deal that subsequently relocated Gladden for 12-month stint in Saudi Arabia, where his new boss\u2014a crown prince\u2014was waiting.

\u201cI had to stay for a year to lead the business through the integration, and this was a challenging time for me culturally,\u201d recalls Gladden, who would step into a CFO role at Dell upon his return to the U.S.

\u201cThis was my first public company CFO job\u2014and Dell was a $60 billion-a-year firm\u2014so it was huge stretch for me,\u201d remarks Gladden, who would log nearly 6 years as Dell\u2019s finance chief.     

\u201cEvery relationship is different\u2014Michael Dell was fantastic with customers and with the company\u2019s vision as far as where technology was going,\u201d comments Gladden. \u201cAs finance leader, you discover where to fill in and partner with the leader based on their strengths.\u201d

So, what do Jeff Immelt, Michael Dell, and a Saudi crown prince have in common? The answer is Brian Gladden. \u2013Jack Sweeney