The CEO
The Rise and Fall of Britain's Captains of Industry

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

Michael Aldous (Author), John D. Turner (Author)

9781009489522, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 June 2025

296 pages
23.3 x 16.3 x 2.1 cm, 0.56 kg

'lifting the veil on Britain's corporate elite … colourful tales of heroes, villains, succession struggles & salaries' Financial Times

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?

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.

Subject Areas: Economic history [KCZ]