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EUROPE’S BEST CEOs
A PERSPECTIVE

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EUROPE’S BEST PERFORMING CEOs
FOREWORD
Throughout the history of business, the failure or
success of a company relies on many factors, not the
least of which is the corporate savvy of the executive
running the show. In recent times, many CEOs have
come under fire for mismanagement of their
corporations, while some have been applauded for
successfully navigating a tough economy. With much
controversy surrounding CEOs of today, the question
stands: Who are the best European CEOs of all
time? Institutional Investor ranked the continent's best
CEOs, CFOs, and investor relations professionals
across 31 industries for its 15th annual All-Europe
Executive Team ranking of 2019. The magazine and
research firm compiled votes from 1,900 research
analysts from more than 700 companies. Here they are.
CEO

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EUROPE’S BEST PERFORMING CEOs
NICANDO DURANTE- BAT
Nicandro Durante (born 13 September 1956) is a Brazilian
businessman, who was the chief executive (CEO) of
British American Tobacco plc (informally BAT), the
world's largest tobacco company by sales, from 2011 to
2019. Durante was born in Goias, Brazil, and is of Italian
ancestry. Durante has a bachelor's degree in Finance,
Economics and Business Administration from the
Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo. Durante
joined BAT's Brazilian subsidiary Souza Cruz in 1981. In
January 2008, he was appointed BAT's chief operating
officer, and in March 2011 became chief executive. In late
2018 BAT announced that Durante would retire at the end
of March 2019. Durante is BAT's first non-British CEO.
During his tenure as CEO, BAT's share price has doubled.
But share prices collapsed in 2018, returning to 2011 share
prices.

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TIMOTHEUS HOTTGES- DEUTSCHE TELEKOM
Timotheus Höttges (born 18 September 1962) is a German
businessman who has been serving as Chief Executive
Officer of Deutsche Telekom AG, the majority shareholder
of T-Mobile US, since 2014. Höttges received a degree in
Business (Betriebswirtschaftslehre) from the University of
Cologne.Höttges joined Deutsche Telekom in 2000. From
2006-09 he worked on the T-Home brand, for internet DSL
customers, and developed the Telekom Entertain internet
TV service into a market leader. He joined the company's
board of directors on 5 December 2006. On 1 March 2009
he became Finance Director of Deutsche Telekom. He then
became CEO of Deutsche Telekom on 1 January 2014,
succeeding René Obermann in that role. Following BT
Group's takeover of EE, formerly a joint venture of
Deutsche Telekom and Orange, Höttges became a
member of BT Group's board of directors.
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Sir David John Lewis (born 1965) is an English
businessman. He is the former CEO of Tesco, serving from
2014 to 2020. Prior to joining Tesco, he was president of
global personal care at Unilever. Lewis was born in March
1965, in Yorkshire. Lewis attended Hills Road Sixth Form
College in Cambridge. He went to university, graduating
from Trent Polytechnic. In 2002, he the Advanced
Management Programme at Harvard Business School. In
2012, Nottingham Trent University awarded Lewis an
honorary doctorate. In July 2014, it was announced that
Lewis was leaving Unilever to become CEO of Tesco. This
was the result of Tesco’s previous CEO, Philip Clarke,
stepping down from his post which he obtained in 2011.
Lewis became CEO after the debacle when it was revealed
to the public that Tesco overestimated their profits by
£250 million for the year 2014.
EUROPE’S BEST PERFORMING CEOs
SIR DAVID JOHN LEWIS- TESCO

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BERNARD ARNAULT- LOUIS VUITTON
Bernard Jean Étienne Arnault (French: [bɛʁnaʁ ʒɑ̃ etjɛn
aʁno]; born 5 March 1949) is a French billionaire
businessman and art collector. He is the chairman and
chief executive of LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton
SE, the world's largest luxury-goods company. In April
2018, he became the richest person in fashion, topping
Zara's Amancio Ortega. Arnault briefly surpassed Jeff
Bezos to become the richest person in the world in
December 2019. He again became the world's richest
person for a short time in January 2020. In July 1988,
Arnault provided $1.5 billion to form a holding company
with Guinness that held 24% of LVMH's shares. In
response to rumors that the Louis Vuitton group was
buying LVMH's stock to form a "blocking minority",
Arnault spent $600 million to buy 13.5% more of LVMH,
making him LVMH's largest shareholder.
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ULF MARK SCHNEIDER- NESTLE
Ulf Mark Schneider (born 9 September 1965) is a
German/American businessman, and the CEO of Nestlé.
He is the former CEO of Fresenius, a €28 billion global
healthcare group. Schneider was born and raised in
Neuwied, Germany, and became a US citizen in 2003. He
holds a doctorate in economics from the University of St.
Gallen, Switzerland, and an MBA from Harvard Business
School. In June 2016, Schneider was appointed CEO of
Nestlé SA, replacing Paul Bulcke. He started as CEO in
January 2017. Schneider is the first outsider to run Nestlé
since 1922. The management challenges of global growth
and future strategies in the healthcare and pharmaceutical
industries are of particular interest to Schneider.
Schneider chaired the European advisory board of
Harvard Business School until 2016.
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JOE KAESER- SIEMENS
Joe Kaeser GCME (born Josef Käser; June 23, 1957) is the
current CEO of Siemens AG, Berlin & Munich, a role he
has been in since August 1, 2013. Joe Kaeser was born in
Arnbruck, in the Bavarian Forest in West Germany, on
June 23, 1957. He spent his early life in education
throughout Germany. Following his studies in business
administration at the Regensburg University of Applied
Sciences, he joined Siemens in 1980. In July 2013 it was
announced that Kaeser would replace Peter Löscher as the
CEO of the Siemens AG. Since 2013, Kaeser has
accompanied Chancellor Angela Merkel on a total of nine
state visits abroad. During the Hannover Messe in April
2016, Kaeser was among the 15 German CEOs who were
invited to a private dinner with President Barack Obama.
At the 2018 World Economic Forum in Davos, he attended
a dinner of President Trump with European CEOs.
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TOM ENDERS- EADS
Thomas Enders (born December 21, 1958) is a German
business executive who served as the chief executive of
Airbus (formerly EADS, Airbus Group) from 2012 until
2019. The son of a shepherd, Enders studied economics,
politics, and history at the University of Bonn and the
University of California, Los Angeles. He completed his
doctorate in political science at the age of 28 on a
scholarship of Konrad Adenauer Foundation. In 2005, he
was appointed co-CEO (first with co-CEO Noël Forgeard,
then Louis Gallois), a role he relinquished in 2007 when
the company modified its corporate governance, giving
away with double-CEO and double-Chairman structures.
As a result of the governance change, Enders was
appointed CEO of Airbus, the Group's largest Division. In
May 2012, the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders
approved Enders' nomination to become CEO of EADS.
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NORBERT REITHOFER- BMW
Norbert Reithofer (born 29 May 1956 in Penzberg, West
Germany) is a businessman and former chairman of the
board of management (CEO) of BMW. He currently serves
as chairman of the supervisory board. After finishing his
Fachabitur, Reithofer graduated in mechanical
engineering at the Munich University of Applied Sciences
in Munich. He then moved on to the Technical University
Munich to study Engineering and Business
Administration. In March 2000, Reithofer returned to
Munich to join the BMW Board of Management,
responsible for production. In 2002, Reithofer and
Development Chief Burkhard Goeschel halved the
standard BMW time it took to reach full production of the
new generation E90 3 Series, from six months to three. On
1 September 2006 he succeeded Helmut Panke as
chairman of the board and CEO of BMW.
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SERGIO MARCHIONNE- FIAT CHRYSLER
Sergio Marchionne (Italian: [ˈsɛrdʒo marˈkjɔnne]; June 17,
1952 – July 25, 2018) was an Italian-Canadian
businessman, widely known for his turnarounds of the
automakers Fiat and Chrysler, his business acumen and
his outspoken and often frank approach, especially when
dealing with unpalatable issues related to his companies
and the automotive industry. Marchionne was the
chairman of CNH Industrial, the chief executive officer
(CEO) of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the chairman and
CEO of FCA US LLC, the chairman and CEO of Ferrari,
and the chairman of Maserati. He was a member of the
Peterson Institute for International Economics, and the
chairman of the Italian branch of the Council for the
United States and Italy. Marchionne was widely
recognized for turning around Fiat Group to become one
of the fastest growing companies in the auto industry.
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LAXMI NIWAS MITTAL- ARCELOR MITTAL
Lakshmi Niwas Mittal- born 15 June 1950) is an Indian
steel magnate, based in the United Kingdom. He is the
chairman and CEO of ArcelorMittal, the world's largest
steelmaking company. Mittal owns 38% of ArcelorMittal
and. In 2005, Forbes ranked Mittal as the third-richest
person in the world, making him the first Indian citizen to
be ranked in the top ten in the publication's annual list of
the world's richest people. He sits on the World Steel
Association's executive committee, and is a member of the
Global CEO Council of the Chinese People's Association
for Friendship with Foreign Countries. In 2005, The
Sunday Times named him "Business Person of 2006", the
Financial Times named him "Person of the Year", and
Time magazine named him "International Newsmaker of
the Year 2006". In 2007, Time magazine included him in
their "Time 100" list.
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MARTIN WINTERKORN- VOLKSWAGEN AG
Martin Winterkorn (born 24 May 1947) is a German
former business executive who was chairman of the board
of management (CEO, Vorstandsvorsitzender in German)
of Volkswagen AG, the parent company of the
Volkswagen Group, chairman of the supervisory board of
Audi, and chairman of the board of management of
Porsche Automobil Holding SE. He succeeded Bernd
Pischetsrieder as CEO of Volkswagen AG in 2007. Prior to
that, he had been the chairman of the board of
management of the Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi
AG. Winterkorn resigned from Volkswagen on 23
September 2015, several days after an emissions cheating
scandal was revealed that concerned the company's diesel
cars.He resigned as chairman of Audi on 11 November
2015.
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BENOIT POTIER- AIR LIQUID
Benoit Potier, Air Liquid — Frenchman Potier leads the
business of Air Liquide, a French firm specialising in
industrial gases. He joined the company as an R&D
engineer in 1984, and was made CEO in 1997. Benoît
Potier graduated with an engineer's degree from École
Centrale Paris in 1979. Benoît Potier also attended the
executive training program of the Wharton International
Forum and the INSEAD Advanced Management
program. He was appointed Executive Vice-President in
1995. Potier is also chairman of the Air Liquide
Foundation.
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JACQUES ASCHENBROICH- VALEO
After holding different posts in the French civil service,
Jacques Aschenbroich was a member of the Prime
Minister’s cabinet in 1987 and 1988. He then moved into
industry and was with the Saint-Gobain Group from 1988
to 2008. He directed the Group’s subsidiaries in Brazil and
Germany before becoming MD of the Flat Glass Division.
An acknowledged specialist in the industry, he was
appointed CEO and Member of the Board of the
automotive parts maker Valeo in 2009 where he has
implemented a new strategic plan to ensure the Group’s
growth in two strategic directions: technologies for
reducing CO2 emissions and emerging markets. He has
launched a reorganisation of the Group around 4 main
Business Groups: Comfort & Driving Assistance Systems,
Powertrain Systems, Thermal Systems, and Visibility
Systems.
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FLORENTINO PEREZ- RODRIGUEZ- GROUP ACS
Florentino Pérez Rodríguez (Spanish
pronunciation: [floɾenˈtino ˈpeɾeð roˈðɾiɣeθ]; born 8 March
1947) is a Spanish businessman, civil engineer, former
politician, and the current President of Real Madrid, as
well as Chairman and CEO of Grupo ACS, a civil
engineering company. Spaniard Perez is probably most
famous as the President of Real Madrid Football Club,
where he paid record transfer fees for players many times.
However, he makes the Harvard Business Review's list for
his role as chairman and CEO of hugely successful
Spanish civil engineering firm ACS.
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SIR MARTIN STUART SORRELL- WPP-S4 CAPITAL
Sir Martin Stuart Sorrell (born 14 February 1945) is a
British businessman and the founder of WPP plc, the
world's largest advertising and PR group, both by
revenue and the number of staff. Upon his retirement in
April 2018, Sorrell was the longest-serving chief executive
of a FTSE 100 company. He is also known for being
consistently one of the UK's highest-paid corporate
executives. According to The Sunday Times Rich Listin
2019, Sorrell is worth £368 million. Sorrell has served on
boards and advisory bodies of a number of high-profile
public, academic and business organisations, including
several leading business schools, both in the UK and
internationally. In May 2018, Sorrell acquired Derriston
Capital, a cash shell listed on the London Stock Exchange,
with plans to create a marketing company called S4
Capital.
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ELMAR WALTER DEGENHART- CONTINENTAL
Elmar Walter Degenhart (born January 29, 1959
in Dossenheim) is a German manager and chairman of the
Board of Continental AGsince 12 August 2009. Between
2005 and 2008 he was chief executive officer (CEO) of the
Keiper Recaro Group, in Kaiserslautern. He was also
chairman of the board of the parent company, Putsch
GmbH & Co. KG, in Kaiserslautern. In August 2008,
Degenhart became Automotive director of Schaeffler KG,
in Herzogenaurach. On 12 August 2009, he succeeded
Continental CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann, and became the
new CEO of Continental AG, in Hannover. In December
2013, his contract was extended until 2019. On 29 October
2020, Degenhart unexpectedly announces that he will
resign from his office as Chairman of the Executive Board
of Continental AG on 30 November 2020 for health
reasons.
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PABLO ISLA ALVAREZ- INDITEX
Pablo Isla Álvarez de Tejera (born 22 January 1964) is a
Spanish businessman and a State lawyer. He is the current
chairman and CEO of Inditex, a
large Spanish corporation and the world's largest fashion
group. From 1992 to 1996 Isla was Director of Legal
Services for Banco Popular Español. In 1996, he left that
position and became the General Manager of the National
heritage department of the Treasury. In 1998, he rejoined
Banco Popular Español as General Secretary. From 2000 to
2005, he was chairman of Altadis group. Isla was named
CEO and deputy chairman of Inditex in 2005 and was
named chairman of the company in 2011. sla graduated
with a Law degree from the Complutense University of
Madrid in 1987 being the second in his year and the best
grade of the squad until the date. He joined the State
Lawyers Corps in 1988, the 1st in his promotion.
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LARS REBEIN SORENSEN- NOVO NORDISK
Lars Rebien Sorensen, Novo Nordisk — Sorensen is
officially the world's best CEO according to the Harvard
Business Review, just pipping Cisco's American boss John
Chambers to the top spot. Sorensen heads up Danish
pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, which focuses on
producing diabetes drugs, something that the HBR says
has helped Sorensen and Novo Nordisk achieve such
great success.
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JON FREDERICK BAKSAAS- TELENOR
Jon Fredrik Baksaas (born 1954) is the Chairman of
the GSMA and until August 2015 the CEO of Telenor. He
now serves as a special adviser to the telecommunications
company's Group Executive Management team.Among
the longest-serving top executives in international
telecoms and in Norwegian business life, Baksaas served
as President and CEO of Telenor for 13 years, from June
2002 to August 2015. His resignation came under a cloud,
as he had acted as one of the primary actors in a bribery
and corruption scandal at VimpelCom (where he was a
director), in connection with the purchase of wireless
licenses in Uzbekistan. Before taking the top position at
Telenor, he had served as Telenor’s deputy CEO, CFO,
and executive vice president. He joined Telenor in 1989.
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CARLOS ALVES BRITO- SAB MILLER
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Carlos Alves Brito, a Brazilian
citizen, holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from
the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and
an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Brito
joined AmBev in 1989. He held various positions in
finance, operations and sales, before being appointed CEO
in January 2004. After InBev was formed in August 2004,
Brito was appointed Zone President North America in
January 2005 and he moved into the CEO position at
InBev in December 2005, where he implemented a
strategy based on cost-cutting. In 2008, after successful
takeover of Anheuser-Busch, Brito took the CEO position
of the enlarged group. In October 2016, after the company
acquired SABMiller, Brito remained CEO of what had
further extended its lead as the world's largest brewer.
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