Then she asked another question.
"Why were the outside advisers coming with you?"
The CFO frowned.
"To discuss financing."
"At a private airport in Washington?"
"Yes."
"Without a scheduled board committee meeting?"
He hesitated.
The CEO watched him.
Then she asked whether a preliminary commitment letter had been prepared.
The CFO looked toward his briefcase.
For a fraction of a second, his expression changed.
The CEO noticed.
"Is there a document you intended to sign?"
He shook his head.
"Nothing binding."
The general counsel spoke.
"Then please provide the materials for review."
The CFO hesitated.
For several seconds, he looked as though he might refuse.
Then he opened his briefcase.
He removed a folder containing several pages.
At the top was the seller's name.
Beneath it was a draft commitment letter concerning the acquisition.
The CEO examined the document.
Then turned to the final page.
A signature block appeared at the bottom.
Her name was printed beneath it.
For a moment, she felt the room grow strangely quiet.
She looked at the CFO.
"Why is my name on this?"
He swallowed.
"It's a draft."
She looked down.
The document included language suggesting that the company had completed all principal-level approvals necessary to proceed with the proposed commitment.
She read the paragraph again.
Then looked toward him.
"I haven't approved this."
The CFO remained silent.
She continued.
"Yet your draft says the approvals are complete."
He began explaining that the language was preliminary.
The general counsel interrupted.
"That representation requires review before anyone uses this document."
The CEO nodded.
Then closed the folder.
The CFO watched her.
For the first time, he looked genuinely worried.
And the Black CEO realized the aircraft incident might have prevented something much more expensive than an unauthorized flight.
The next morning, the independent investigation began.
Meridian Atlas's board authorized a special review led by outside counsel, internal audit specialists, and aviation compliance personnel who weren't responsible for the disputed flight.
The CEO deliberately avoided acting as the sole investigator.
She was both the company's controlling principal and the person whose identity had apparently been misused.
That made independence important.
She wanted findings that could survive scrutiny.
Not a report designed to confirm her anger.
The aviation management company placed the assigned flight crew on administrative leave pending its own review.
The aircraft remained unavailable for discretionary travel until its operational status, records, and crew assignment could be verified.
The CEO approved an alternative transportation plan for legitimate company business.
She wasn't going to compromise safety by demanding that a different crew fly immediately simply because she'd been embarrassed.
Her senior aviation executive appreciated the decision.
He had seen wealthy clients respond to delays by making unsafe demands.