The CEO

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?

• Explains the 20th century evolution of the British CEO
• Establishes why the dramatic rise in CEO pay has happened
• Explores the influence of social mobility in making a CEO and vice versa
• Unpacks the lack of diversity present in the CEOs of the FTSE 100, and of women in particular
• Discusses whether CEOs are the heroes or villains of Britain's economic story