(FORTUNE Magazine) – GEORGE T. SHAHEEN, 44 ARTHUR ANDERSEN & CO. The recent turmoil in Andersen's management consulting business has put Shaheen on the spot. He took over consulting operations in the U.S. and Canada last May, after his former boss was dismissed. In October, the day after his ex-boss lured six Andersen consultants to a new firm, Andersen gave its consulting practice a new name and made Shaheen a managing partner. His immediate job: prevent further defections from Andersen Consulting. This may not be easy; rumors are already aswirl about a top-level study on how to restructure the consulting business. Shaheen and his colleagues will find out at year-end just how much autonomy they are to have -- and how much their salaries will rise. Says he: ''If the firm is serious about keeping abreast of market changes, the recommendations will have to be substantial.''

KRISTINA C. PIENING, 24 MEAD CORP. The difficulty of finding and setting up the far-flung sales offices and warehouses of big industry has spawned an industry within: corporate real estate. Piening is a leasing agent at Mead, the $4.2-billion-a-year paper products and data services outfit in Dayton, Ohio. In the two years since she joined the company, she has found the sites, managed the leases, or supervised the construction for 220 buildings in five Mead divisions. Last spring an industry magazine named her one of several outstanding young real estate agents in the country.

PETER PFITZINGER, 31 NEW BALANCE ATHLETIC SHOE INC. Pfitzinger, one of three product managers at this Boston maker of high-tech shoes, knows his wares inside out. In fact, he wears them out running marathons. In the six years since Pfitzinger joined New Balance after graduating from Cornell's business school, he has run 11 marathons. At the Los Angeles and Seoul Olympics, he came in 11th and 14th, respectively, the best performances for an American man. New Balance, No. 3 in the running shoe market after Nike and Tiger, allowed Pfitzinger to work part time as an assistant product manager for four years so he could concentrate on his running. Since Seoul, however, he has decided to focus on business. He now directs the development, manufacturing, and sales of the 28 shoe models in the company's running, walking, and hiking lines.