Paul Mason. (Balance Sheet).

Growing up in England, Paul Mason envisioned living in America and raising his children in what he deemed "the land of opportunity." For Mason, his dream has become reality. He says he's an English person who works for a Japanese company while living in Texas -- and sometimes, he even says, "y'all."

Title: Executive Vice President and CFO 

Company: Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc., a provider of hardware, software and services for retailers, banks, credit unions and financial institutions.

Born: Whiston, England; Aug. 4, 1963

Spouse: Jennifer (married for 12 years; met in high school)

Children: Philippa, 10; Joseph, 5

Education Summary: BSc, Mathematics with Statistics, University of Bristol, England -- Graduated with honors, 1984; FCMA (Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), completed post-graduate examinations in the U.K., 1988.

Career Summary: 1984-'85, Graduate Trainee Accountant, STC, Bolton, U.K.; 1985-'91, various finance positions with ICL Manufacturing and Purchasing Divisions in the U.K., in Stoke-on-Trent; 1991-'93, ICL Group Management Accountant, London, U.K.; 1994-'95, Controller, ICL Industry Systems, London; 1995-'97, Commercial Director & Worldwide Controller, ICL Retail, Dallas, Texas; 19972000, CFO & VP, Fujitsu-ICL Systems Inc, Dallas; 2001-'02, CFO & SVP, Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc., Dallas; 2003-Present, Executive Vice President & CFO, Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc., Frisco, Texas.

FEI Chapter: Dallas. Co-Chair, Chapter Technology Committee. Member of FET National GOC (Global Oversight Committee).

Leisure: "Hiking, fishing, canoeing/ kayaking and camping. I particularly enjoy the YMCA Indian Princess/Trailmates program which has provided the opportunity to introduce my favorite leisure activities to my daughter. It is, without doubt, the best program that I have been involved in that encourages fathers to build a strong relationship with their children. I look forward to starting YMCA Indian Guides with my son this fall."

Time Management: "Each evening, I check my calendar for the following day and plan accordingly. Weekly, on Friday, I go through my calendar for the following week.

Also: Keep a list of the most important tasks/projects/actions and review regularly (the Microsoft task feature is an excellent way of doing this electronically), and I always allow time in my calendar for the unexpected."

Stress Management: "Always keep an appropriate work/private life balance, keep some personal time in your weekly schedule and use it for whatever activity that one finds relaxing, whether it's fishing, walking, playing golf, working out -- or whatever."

Favorite Book: "For life skills: Leadership and Self-Deception -- Getting out of the Box, by the Arbinger institute. For leisure: Patriot Games, by Tom Clancy."

Best/Worst Jobs: "Worst job: Picking tobacco leaves on a farm in Southern Ontario, Canada, as an 18-year-old university student's summer job; though it gave me the exciting opportunity to hitchhike coast-to-coast across North America.

Best job is actually my current role. I enjoy the personal freedom and accountability that comes with my role as CFO of a mid-size company, whilst also enjoying the opportunity to experience the different cultures of both our Japanese parent and of our various international partners."

Favorite Deal: "A deal that I personally invented the idea for, to form a joint venture company between my firm and a foreign, Nasdaq-listed software company. The joint venture company was created in approximately three months, and this summer will complete its first year of successful trading."

Comments: "1) Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today -- but always prioritize first! 2) Keeping a positive attitude is the most important thing. 3) Always recruit the best."

Email: [e-mail]