Balance sheet: in addition to being an accomplished financial executive, Richard Roupe has built his own home and is rebuilding his '69 corvette, while at the same time finding time to pursue a broad range of other personal and professional interests.

• Author: Ladd, Scott
• Position: Biography

NAME Richard A. Roupe

TITLE Chief Financial Officer

COMPANY Zippo Manufacturing Inc., headquartered in Bradford, Pa., is a multi-brand consumer products business whose products include lighters, pocket knives (WR Case), apparel, outdoor gear, men's lifestyle accessories and fuels.

BORN Pittsburgh, Pa., July 1955

FAMILY Married to Pamela for M years; daughters Megan (Bob), 26, a digital marketing specialist, and Kathryn, 24, a photojournalist for The Washington Observer-Reporter, the same newspaper that I delivered as a boy.

EDUCATION BS degree with majors in Accounting, Business Administration and Data Processing from Geneva College; MS in Business Administration from Robert Morris University.

CAREER SUMMARY Tuscarora Plastics Inc., accounting supervisor, 1979-86; Ernst & Young, Pittsburgh, senior manager in the consulting practice, 1986-91; Diskriter, Inc., Pittsburgh, vice president of Finance, 1991-98;

Zippo Manufacturing Inc., CFO, 1999-present.

BOARDS OF DIRECTORS/COMMUNITY SERVICE Director for Zippo; member of the Upper Allegheny Health System board; treasurer of Bradford Economic & Community Development; past officer/director of Bradford Area School District; various faith-based and civic group boards.

FEI CHAPTER Pittsburgh Chapter since 1999; service on FEI's National Committee on Private Companies-Policy.

LEISURE I enjoy family events. As far as individual sports, hobbies and recreational interests, I enjoy hunting, fishing, shooting sports, boating, snowmobiling, dirt bike riding and car restoration; I just started a restoration on a 1969 Corvette.

TIME MANAGEMENT I benefit from the support of an exceptional executive assistant and weekly uninterrupted planning time. I haven't found a way to effectively tame the email monster yet, though.

STRESS MANAGEMENT Working on my hobby car and sport shooting are relaxing. During the summer I enjoy watching the sunset from our boat on a local lake--it just drains out the toxins of the day.

FAVORITE OR RECENTLY-READ BOOK I just finished Flags of Our Fathers, by lames Bradley. I enjoy a wide range of books, such as Tom Clancy books, outdoor sporting books, relevant current business topics and historical war-related stories.

IF I COULD, I'D SPEND AN HOUR WITH My father. He has passed away and I miss him greatly.

PERSONAL HEROES Those who have assumed a risk by allowing me the opportunity to succeed or fail. More than a mentor, my...