Who's the Boss?

After assembling an arsenal of 128 chemical and biological technologies to address virtually any under-ground contamination problem, Environmental Remediation and Financial Services CEO Mark Vigneri, 42, took steps to ensure that above ground, human resources were equally well coordinated.

His "wheel" management system is based on a chart that identifies all employees based on their skills and expertise. The chart is constructed so that if, for example, an environmental scientist requires additional materials during subsurface drilling, he immediately knows who to call and has the authority to do so. "There is no hierarchy," says Vigneri. "The goal is to keep the project moving forward."

As a result, Mark hasn't donned hazard gear to perform on-site work since 2001. "I'm not listed as a specialist in that area, so there's no need for me to be there," he says. Instead, he focuses on his company's growth: Sales last year reached $10 million.

This article was originally published in the January 2006 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Who's the Boss?.