Michael F. Nemser.

• Author: Heffes, Ellen M.
• Position: Balance Sheet - Profiled - Brief Article

It's hard to envision Michael Nemser without a broad smile across his face. Yet there are likely times over the past year when smiling might've been a stretch! He's had a busy year -- chairing FEI's Annual Summit, while, at the same time, helping to bring a company through a Chapter 11 restructuring. A New York City-born world traveler of varied interests, he's figured out that the keys to his success involve other people. With over 15 years' experience in the coal industry, he's a firm believer in his company's product: "The success of our country in the world markets is based on low-cost energy, and coal accounts for more than 50 percent of the electric generation of the U.S."

Name: Michael F. Nemser

Title: CFO

Company/Industry: Horizon Natural Resources (formally AEI Resources); the fourth largest coal company in the U.S., as measured by revenues.

Born: New York City, Jan. 9, 1950

Spouse: Married for 30 years to Lynn Seavey Nemser, SPHR, President of Partners in Performance Inc.

Children: Stephanie, 24

Education Summary: BA with high honors in Economics, Hobart College, 1972; MBA, Wharton, 1974

Career Summary: 1974-'87, Various domestic and international positions at DuPont Co.; 1987-'98, VP & Treasurer, then SVP Administration, CONSOL Inc.; 1999-Aug. 2000, SVP & CFO CONSOL Energy; Nov. 2000 to present, CFO, Horizon Natural Resources

FEI Service: Pittsburgh Chapter, where he's held various leadership positions including past Chapter President; Founding President in 1982 of the English-speaking Chapter of FEI Venezuela; Area Vice President for North Central, 2000-02, and the newly elected Vice President at Large and a member of the Office of the Chairman.

Time Management: "Live by the Palm Pilot; delegate and trust the capabilities of your staff and their ability to rise to increasingly higher levels of potential."

Leisure: "I live for downhill skiing in Utah, Colorado and British Columbia, enjoy boating on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, mountain biking in N.H. and street biking, and I collect classic cars (1954 MG TF and 1975 MGB). And, my passion is cruising on ocean liners and cruise ships around the world with my family. (I have a collection of antique prints of ocean liners which crowds my office walls.)"

Stress...