BORN 12 December 1951. EDUCATION Received an MBA from the ESSEC business school in Paris. CAREER 1977: joins the electronics giant Philips. Goes on to hold various roles, including director for operations in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Peru and Italy. 1990-95: head of finance, BAT Industries, later becoming group finance controller and then director for new business development and group finance controller. 1996: joins board of the newly created British American Tobacco Holdings as business development director. 1996: group finance director, Dairy Farm International. 1998 to now: chief executive, Mandarin Oriental.