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It\u2019s perhaps appropriate that Scott Healy\u2019s finance career began at an airport. With recently displayed boarding pass in hand, Healy thought that he was ready for takeoff\u2014only to have his new boss board with a mystery box under one arm.

\u201cHe was carrying a package that I thought was some sort of welcome gift for me because from the outside you could see some cookies and things to eat,\u201d recalls Healy, who upon closer inspection discovered that while the package did indeed contain a few treats, it also held 15 prospectuses.   

\u201cHe expected me to read and analyze each of them during our 6-hour flight from San Francisco to Boston,\u201d continues Healy, who uses the story to illustrate the first of multiple lessons that he believes became invaluable to his career.

\u201cFirst, I learned how to critically process large amounts of information, regardless of whether it was communicated verbally or in writing,\u201d reports Healy, who tells us that in the years ahead, the processing pace never let up as his ability to consume information became further improved by the the many prospectuses that he himself would come to author.

Another lesson that became critical to Healy\u2019s finance career was learning how to pitch clients.      

\u201cPitching is a bit like speed dating\u2014generally, you have 5 minutes to capture someone\u2019s interest, and if you don\u2019t, you will not get the transaction done,\u201d comments Healy, who credits his ever-maturing pitching acumen with winning over one client in particular.

\u201cI had this very detailed pitch planned, but when we sat down, the client said to me, \u2018There\u2019s absolutely no chance that you\u2019re ever going to do one of my projects,\u2019\u201d remembers Healy, who adds that for the next 30 minutes, the client listed all of the specific terms that he would expect in a purchase agreement.

\u201cI listened, I commented, and slowly I got him to agree to talk further,\u201d remarks Healy, who notes that he countered each specific term being required by the client with a \u201cmini pitch\u201d designed to address each item.

In the end, the client rewarded Healy with the project, a feat that speaks highly of Healy\u2019s ability not only to pitch, but also to negotiate\u2014which the CFO admits might well be his greatest skillset.

Says Healy: \u201cI\u2019ve negotiated in 12 different countries and on four different continents. One time, I even negotiated for 76 hours straight.\u201d \u2013Jack Sweeney