text: You just reminded me of a consulting project I had about 30 years ago to provide a short list of the 3 best candidates to be the new CFO for a fast growing, medium sized company in the communications industry. 
  
  I always provided lengthy reports on the pluses and minuses of each short listed candidate  and summed up with my first choice and why.
  
  In this case, my first choice among three top flight executives happened to be a black executive.
  
  While I worked on a retainer and guaranteed payments basis, I still wanted to push for the best of the 3 choices for both my reputation and my no charge replacement guarantee of a full year after the executive's starting date.
  
  So I tried various arguments on my client including humour.
  
  "Jack," I pontificated, "there are only two colours when it comes to finances and to CFOs, black and red - and black is good!".
  
  The client hired the black CFO and he was a star performer for several solvent years with that company.
  
  (Sometimes humour helps.)