ACME Inc. is looking for a new Chief Financial officer (CFO). Acme is Fortune 1000 corporation with 11 manufacturing facilities in nine states and over 11,000 employees. The executive search team has reduced the search from 67 applicants to a final group of four finalists.

Each finalist candidate will spend 3 days at corporate headquarters meeting with senior executives, labor union representatives, as well as local political officials. Each candidate has submitted 3 job references who are familiar with their knowledge, skills, and abilities. As the Chief of Human Resources for ACME, you are a member and active participant of the CFO search committee.

PART l: CAREFULLY draft five (5) questions for the search committee to ask each of the references about their knowledge or opinions about the qualifications of the final four candidates for this executive leadership position.

PART 2: CAREFULLY draft (5) questions for the search committee to ask each of the four candidates their qualifications to lead a major American corporation in an age of intense competition and change.