Simone, 54, has headed Entrex, an IT services firm in Britain's FTSE-250, for three years. It's a successful company blending technology smarts with business knowledge.

Simone's a regular on the business pages; over a third of readers recognise her. But being closely associated with your company can be a double edged sword - which is why she's tasked one of her direct reports to give her a monthly update on Entrex's media profile. She has four big questions for Peter Sheriff, her second-in-command.

First she needs to know whether the outlook is optimistic or pessimistic. Consultancy businesses are deeply affected by government spending and the business cycle, and she needs to flag up future cash cows and problem children. That's the hard business stuff, but it's only part of the story.

Second is her personal profile - and how it affects perceptions of Entrex as a whole. If she's perceived negatively, it might be time to drive a wedge between company and personality - never easy for a CEO who lives and breathes her company.

Third come her competitors. What's HiPro doing? CU Global Services? HAL Consulting? Simone needs to measure up. And fourth, she wants to know what Peter's going to do about it. As CEO, she can't get involved in the detail; she just wants results.

Next: Simone wants some answers.