Rebar Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 1a] What primary, core skill would cover being the CEO of a large business such as a private airline company? PS: CEO? 1b] What about peripheral skills? I've got Biz Law, Biz Finances and Diplomacy? 2a] What core science skill(s) would be key to technological innovation in the commercial airline industry, say for the Director of Engineering? 2b] What would be some good peripheral skills? I've got Aeronautical Engineering, Metallurgy and Structural Engineering*. *is Structural Engineering aqppropriate or am I misunderstadning the skill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Goodwin Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Re: CEO skills, aeronautical design skills 1a] What primary, core skill would cover being the CEO of a large business such as a private airline company? PS: CEO? Sounds good to me. 1b] What about peripheral skills? I've got Biz Law, Biz Finances and Diplomacy? Maybe at least 1 point in KS: Marketing? Persuasion and Oratory, definitely. 2a] What core science skill(s) would be key to technological innovation in the commercial airline industry, say for the Director of Engineering? SC: Aeronautics, SC: Physics, SC: Mathematics, at least 1 point in Computer Programming (for the computer usage side), maybe KS: CAD. Inventor would be a good one. 2b] What would be some good peripheral skills? I've got Aeronautical Engineering, Metallurgy and Structural Engineering*. That all sounds good to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Re: CEO skills, aeronautical design skills Well, for a typical CEO, here's the description provided by the Fourth Edition Champs/Dark Champs sourcebook, Corporations: THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO) Val Char Cost 10 STR 0 10 DEX 0 11 CON 2 10 BODY 0 15 INT 5 15 EGO 10 18 PRE 8 10 COM 0 2 PD 1 2 ED 0 2 SPD 0 5 REC 0 22 END 0 21 STUN 0 Cost Skills 7 Bureaucratics, 14- 4 KS: Business, 14- 3 Conversation, 13- 3 PS: CEO, 12- 3 High Society, 13- 3 Trading, 13- 4 KS: Stock Market, 13- 2 KS: Health & Fitness, 11- 2 KS: Hobby (Choose), 11- 3 Transport Familiarity: Boats, Air Vehicles 3 Well Connected 4 Contacts (All at 11-; choose 4) 3 Perk: CEO Benefits (see background) 5 Perk: Wealthy (less than $500,000 per year) 50+ Disadvantages 10 Very business-minded (Common, moderate) 5 Reputation: Succesful businessman, 8- 10 Public ID: Corporate CEO Char: 26 Base: 50 Skills: 49 Disads: 25 Totals: 75 75 Background: Having spent a number of years as one of the faceless executives, the CEO has learned to get, and stay, ahead. She's made a number of friends on the way up, and sometimes a few enemies. It's the friends that the CEO can turn to, from time to time, for assistance in dealing with troublesome situations. These "friends" can include other CEO's or executives, corporate law and tax attorneys, investors, brokers, members of the FTC, foreign dignitaries, and even criminal leaders. The CEO has what it takes to survive in the high-stakes business world, from rubbing elbows with the social upper class to giving executive orders to the corporate staff. The CEO has to maintain a working knowledge of the business, as well as the stock market. Communicating with others is the CEO's chief ability, which she does quite well. Oftentimes she will draw answers to questions that she never asks. Running the company is the CEO's bread and butter. As long as the company is running smoothly and making money, the board of directores is happy -- and the CEO has a job. After all, CEO's tend to be the first people out of work when corporations "restructure." The CEO has to run a tight ship, making sure that any problems are handled quickly and effectively. The CEO enjoys a good income, as well as the always-generous perks that go along with being a corporate CEO; a chauffeur, use of corporate jets and boats, membership to elite clubs and resorts, foreign passports -- the works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebar Posted February 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Re: CEO skills, aeronautical design skills Hm. I'm wondering if CEO is the right position for my character. As I've written Connor's background, his father is head of the family-owned commercial airline business (eg. corporate office in Ottawa) and Connor's being groomed to take over. Connor is currently CEO of a different division (eg. advanced development in Toronto). But the story role Connor plays is that of a millionnaire playboy. He's got responsibilities but is not ready for them yet. His father wants him to stop all this foolish skirt-chasing and fast-car driving and head the company. Connor gets the perks such as celebrity and company resources, but at the same time is often called upon for public speaking and press conferences. He's a sexy figurehead. Does this sound like a CEO of a division? Would Directeor be better? It should be accompanied by some celebrity status. He already has the high PRE, COM and charisma skills. Also, his division would be involved in advanced materials engineering. Ideas welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattern Ghost Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Re: CEO skills, aeronautical design skills Could be an executive VP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilFleischmann Posted February 1, 2007 Report Share Posted February 1, 2007 Re: CEO skills, aeronautical design skills I wouldn't have "CEO" be a skill in itself. I'd call the skill PS: Business Administration, or something like that, at a very high level for the CEO of a large company. The VPs have the same skill at a slightly lower level, the division chiefs, at a level lower than that; the middle managers, even lower; etc. After all, what skill did he have before being promoted to CEO? He'd should also have KS: Airline Industry, to be competent in the specific field. He would also have more specific skills depending on what job function(s) he had in the company prior to becoming CEO. For example, if he used to be VP of Marketing, he'd have PS: Marketing. For the technical skills, I'd say SS: Aeronautic Engineering ought to cover most of it. (As should PS: Business, for the non-technical.) If you really want to break it down into component sciences, there would be quite a few, since airplanes are complicated and *everything* about them needs to be engineered - not just the wings and the control surfaces. Some examples would include: Ergonomics, Meteorology, Scheduling, KS: Labor Handling, Mechanical, Civil, and Electronic Engineering, Radio, Safety, Maintainence, Testing, World Geography, etc. In most cases, I'd probably use just three skills to cover the whole shebang: PS: Business, KS: Airline Industry, and SS: Aeronautical Engineering. I'd add more only in the (what would seem to me to be) very rare cases where the little details mattered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markdoc Posted February 2, 2007 Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Re: CEO skills, aeronautical design skills Hm. I'm wondering if CEO is the right position for my character. Probably not - a company usually has only one CEO - he sounds more like a divisional VP. As for skills, I'd say 2-3 PS's in the area where he works, including at least one in PS: manager, level depending on how skilled they are. Some executives are very knowledgeable in the field their division and/or company covers - others have a FAM at best - they have people/managerial skills instead and rely on staff for technical reports. A few CEO's have neither people skills nor background skills but got their position via connections. The list taken from Corporations is risible - I've met and work with a lot of CEO.s and few if any would meet that standard. None of them would have a public ID - only a tiny percentage of CEO's do: Steve Jobs, Steve Ballmer, Larry Ellison, etc. How many of you could identify Bill Ford (CEO of Ford, inc)? I've seen photos, but I doubt I could pick him out of a lineup and I pay more attention to this stuff than most peope I know. cheers, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted February 2, 2007 Report Share Posted February 2, 2007 Re: CEO skills, aeronautical design skills I have a character in a similar circumstance. Only when everything played out, his father ended being killed by a hero who's battlesuit had been reprogrammed by a rival. He was capable of taking over, only he really wasn't interested. His father's PA, who was equally as capable, was given the task, while my character became the public face. Much like a Bruce Wayne/Lucius Fox relationship. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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