British Boardroom Heroes and Villains: Who Made Their Wages in 2020?

Heroes:

Pascal Soriot, Astrazeneca

Even before the pandemic broke out, Astra’s CEO was hailed for spearheading the British drug giant’s successful transformation from laggard to industry leader.

Hero: Astrazeneca CEO Pascal Soriot has brought the company – and the UK – back to the forefront of science through his groundbreaking vaccine partnership with Oxford University

Since then, the 61-year-old Frenchman has brought the company – and the UK – back to the forefront of science through its groundbreaking vaccine partnership with Oxford University, approved by regulators yesterday.

The jab is sent all over the world and made available to developing countries at cost.

The vaccine is also easier to store than others, making it easier to distribute. If that weren’t enough, Soriot has also just unveiled a £ 29 billion nosedive from Astra to U.S. rare disease treatment specialist Alexion.

Andy Haldane, Bank of England

Haldane was a bright spot this year.

He believes the UK economy will come back to life in 2021 once a vaccine has been successfully distributed.

Held: The Bank of England’s Chief Economist Andy Haldane was a ray of hope this year

The £ 100 billion “accidental savings” British amassed during the lockdown will, he argues, act as a catalyst once people have the confidence to start spending again.

His most notable comment came in September when he warned that people’s pessimistic attitudes towards “chicken licks” would only add to the troubles of the pandemic. He compared negative forecasters to the children’s storybook characters who feared heaven would fall for them.

Hero: Within weeks of starring, Ken Murphy announced that Tesco would return the deal relief

Ken Murphy, Tesco

Taking over the UK’s largest grocer is a big task at best and an even tougher task amid a pandemic.

But Ken Murphy made a name for himself this month when, within weeks of starring, he announced that Tesco would voluntarily return taxpayers £ 585 million in corporate rate relief.

The decision sparked a trend: more than £ 1.9 billion returned in a matter of days when Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi, Morrisons, Lidl, B&M and even Pets at Home followed suit.

Customers and taxpayers hope that his move will set the tone for his tenure at the top.

Amanda Blanc, Aviva

The insurance industry was barely a beacon during the pandemic, but Amanda Blanc caught attention for all the right reasons.

As the first woman to run Aviva, she wasted little time getting her strategy off the ground for the company.

Hero: As the first woman to lead Aviva, Amanda Blanc wasted little time getting her strategy off the ground for the company

The 53-year-old Welsh rugby fanatic has been overseeing the overseas sales of four non-core divisions of Aviva since it started in July – far more than her predecessor Maurice Tulloch, who only agreed one sale in his 16 months.

Investors will hope it will succeed where it failed and restore the insurance giant’s fate.

Hero: It’s been a good year for make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury, make-up artist

With most of us locked in our homes for much of 2020, the women’s desire to look good on those Zoom calls made it a good year for makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury.

Spanish perfume maker Puig acquired a majority stake in its eponymous makeup empire valued at more than £ 1.2 billion.

Tilbury, 47, is now one of the UK’s richest entrepreneurs. She used her platform to support Women For Women International, an organization that helps female survivors of the war rebuild their lives.

rogue

Jean-Sebastien Jacques, Rio Tinto

Mining boss Jean-Sebastien Jacques met his fall after overseeing the decision to blow up two 46,000-year-old rock shelters to expand an iron ore mine in Western Australia.

It was a blatant insult to the locals Puutu Kunti Kurrama and Pinikura, who called it “soul-destroying”. Before the destruction, the Juukan Gorge caves had shown evidence of human habitation since the last Ice Age.

The 49-year-old Frenchman also botched his answer by taking a fortnight to apologize.

The explosions sparked worldwide outrage, and shareholders, activists and politicians launched violent attacks.

For his textbook example of how not to react to an ethical crisis, he was dismissed as managing director in September after four years. His reign ends today when CFO Jakob Stausholm replaces him.

Villain: The collapse of Arcadia will make 2020 another year Sir Philip Green wants to forget

Sir Philip Green, Arcadia

The collapse of Arcadia, the owner of Topshop and other brands, will make 2020 another year Green wants to forget. It collapsed into the administration at the end of November and put 13,000 jobs in doubt before Christmas.

Covid pounded retailers, but poor online strategy and a massive £ 1.2 billion dividend raised by Green and his wife Tina in 2005 had undermined performance long before the pandemic.

Arcadia’s spiral will fall off as another black mark against Green’s name just a few years after BHS passed away.

Paula Vennells, Post Office (EX)

When Vennells, 61, left the post office in 2019, on her income of more than £ 4.5million, she took with her a CBE and a plum job as chairman of a top NHS trust.

However, in 2020 even more details emerged about her role in the Post’s IT scandal.

Villain: Damn details made known the role of former post manager Paula Vennells in the IT scandal of the Post