This African-born telecom pioneer explains how raw frustration with UK big business drove him to work for himself. Having designed many of the world's first wave of mobile networks, he then physically built them in Africa because no one else would. Now with an estimated personal fortune of $2.5bn he awards cash prizes in Africa to promote better leadership.

In her first ever full length TV interview the most powerful woman in world business talks frankly about her upbringing in India, how she came to restructure an American icon and why she now physically stops herself from feeling guilt each day about being a 'bad' executive, mother and wife.

This student of 18th centaury algorithms is leading a revolution in the way corporations extract information from video, pictures and voice conversations. Having been lent £2,000 by a stranger in a pub to set-up in business, this son of a fireman floated Autonomy at £5 billion.  It entered the FTSE 100 only to crash out.  Through it all Mike Lynch has built a 17,000-strong client list that includes real-time terrorist tracking for the US Department of Homeland Security.

The son of the fourth richest man on the planet talks openly about how he's fought to be recognised in his own right by driving an acquisition strategy through the steel industry at a rate of 35 deals a year - which included his family's bitter battle for Arcelor.

Europe's turnaround king explains how he goes about pulling businesses like Fiat back from the brink of bankruptcy, his five principles of leadership and why humility is paramount for CEOs. 

In his first major television interview, Lindsay Owen Jones reveals how he's delivered an unbroken string of double-digit profit growth for 23 years. He talks frankly about his relationship with France's richest woman, billionaire shareholder Liliane Bettencourt. And why he's happy for the French to mistakenly think he's Welsh.

The Italian who runs GE outside the United States talks about fathers, sons, how he built his career in plastics and why sponsoring the Olympic Games is an extension of his 'company to country' approach to emerging markets. (GE is the parent company of CNBC). 

As the architect of the merger that created GSK prepares to retire as its CEO, the competitive Frenchman talks about how he revolutionized big pharma's R&D, its relationship with poor nations and why the original deal was not his preferred option. 

Vogue claims the founder of this luxury, online fashion retailer is 'revolutionizing' how women buy clothes. In her first major television interview, Natalie talks about how she navigates the dangers inherent in a business that is doubling its revenues each year, why she can offer a lifeline to designers and how also bringing-up two young daughters is 'pulling her apart'.

This native of the US state of Alabama reveals what he's learnt in the 35 years he took to climb one of the world's big four accountants. Sam talks passionately about why CEOs need to re-invent for the next generation, what lessons there are to learn from the sub-prime crisis, and why he finds the New York City Ballet a powerful antidote.

The Turk who will become CEO of the world's most valuable brand in July talks frankly about what he's learnt during his 30 year career; beating back Pepsi in Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall; his close partnership with out-going CEO Neville Isdell and his self-imposed exile from Coke after he was investigated for short-selling.