Steven Gerard, CEO
The key to hurdling obstacles? Hard work, says Gerard. It’s the same thing he looks for when he hires someone.
|
What one factor is most important to success?
No one factor. [It’s a] combination of hard work, aggressiveness, risk taking and luck.
What do you look for in an employee?
Hard work, aggressiveness, integrity.
What’s the best way to save money?
A forced weekly or monthly payroll savings plans.
What’s the best way to spend money?
On your family.
What’s your greatest pleasure?
Family and work.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?
Take a long hot shower.
How do you deal with stress?
Exercise and listening to music.
What one lesson do you hope to pass on to your children?
There is always time to be nice to everyone. You must remain true to your ideals.
How do you bounce back from adversity?
Work harder.
What’s your favorite thing about Queens?
My parents still live there—and Queens College.
Gerard grew up in Queens and runs Century Business Services, the nation’s seventh-largest accounting firm. (It operates under the moniker “CBIZ.”) The company has grown quickly in the last three years by gobbling up smaller accounting firms across the country. CBIZ began having difficulties near the end of the century, but Gerard instituted a restructuring program that has since put it back on its feet.
| BUSINES TIP |
– Pablo Picasso, Spanish artist |
| “Success is dangerous. One begins to copy oneself, and to copy oneself is more dangerous than to copy others. It leads to sterility.” |
