For FEI's chair it's his time to: 'pay it forward'.

• Author: Ladd, Scott
• Position: FEI Chair 2011-12

When George Boyadjis accepted a position as chief financial officer in Minnesota nearly two decades ago, he turned to a colleague from Ernst & Young, his company's auditor, for advice on making a good impression in his new business environs. "I asked my Cincinnati audit partner what I should do to become involved in the business community in my new home town," Boyadjis recalls. "He advised me that I 'have to join FEI. And so I did."

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Fast forward as Boyadjis takes the gavel as chairman of the board of Financial Executives International for 2011-12.

Since attending his first FEI meeting in 1994, Boyadjis has amassed a considerable organizational resume, having served in key positions at the international regional and local levels. Now, he's taking on a significant new challenge as chair, and it's an assignment he assumes with great relish.

"I am passionate about advancing the success of FEI members, their organizations and the profession," he says. "I really enjoy the opportunity I have to 'pay it forward'--that is, to assist FEI members and potential members in making connections that allow their businesses to advance."

Currently executive director of CresaPartners, the largest real estate consultancy in North America serving corporate clients, Boyadjis has clearly used his extensive financial background to succeed. Working with FEI peers and colleagues, he has sharpened his business acumen and enhanced his leadership skills and experience--developments that have made him a more vital asset throughout his career and provided an increasingly valuable perspective in his current role at CresaPartners.

That experience will come in handy in his new FEI role, especially at such a difficult and delicate time for businesses, not only in the United States, but on a global scale. Boyadjis believes FEI has an important role to play in helping shape the dialogue on corporate reporting and governance, and in providing counsel and guidance on building a better, more efficient financial environment.

"FEI's vision is to be recognized globally as the leading organization for senior-level financial executives," he says. "As such, our Committee on Corporate Reporting and our Committee on Corporate Treasury are leading the way."

Those two committees, he continues, serve as the primary voice of the preparer community and corporate finance on relevant issues. "FEI's leadership is manifested both through the formal comment letters we issue...