The CEO

The story of Britain's CEOs from who has made it to the top and how to why they matter.

The CEOs of Britain's largest companies wield immense power, but we know very little about them. How did they get to the top? Why do they have so much power? Are they really worth that exorbitant salary? Michael Aldous and John Turner provide the answers by telling the story of the British CEO over the past century. From gentleman amateurs to professional managers, entrepreneurs, frauds, and fat cats, they reveal the characters who have made it to the top of the corporate ladder, how they got there, and what their rise tells us about British society. They show how the quality of their leadership influences productivity, innovation, economic development and, ultimately, Britain's place in the world. More recently, issues have arisen regarding high CEO pay, poor performance, and a lack of professionalisation and diversity. Are there lessons from history for those who would seek to reform Britain's flagging corporate economy?

Autorentext
Michael Aldous is a business historian and Senior Lecturer at Queen's Business School, Queen's University Belfast. He is a founder and co-director of the Long Run Institute (LRI), which uses historical analysis to help senior executives and policy makers make better decisions. John D. Turner is Professor of Finance and Financial History, Queen's Business School, Queen's University Belfast, and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. His previous book Boom and Bust: A Global History of Financial Bubbles (2021) was named an Economics Book of the Year by the Financial Times.

Zusammenfassung
Michael Aldous and John Turner reconstruct the evolution of British CEOs over the past century. From gentleman amateurs to professional managers, entrepreneurs, frauds, and fat cats, they reveal the characters who have made it to the top, how they get there, and the lessons from their successes and failures.

Inhalt
List of Figures, Tables and Portraits; 1. Heroes and Villains; 2. Gentlemen vs Players; 3. Families and Founders; 4. The Managerial Revolution?; 5. The Buccaneers; 6. Fat Cats; 7. Captains of Industry; Acknowledgements; Notes; Bibliography; Index.