Boldness in Business

Boldness in Business

MORE THAN THREE YEARS AFTER

the global financial crisis convulsed the

world economy, the signs of a recovery

are unmistakable. But aside from the

dynamic growth seen in the developing

world, notably in China, the recovery

remains fragile.

In this volatile and unpredictable environment, the need for

business to be bold has never been greater: the need for managers

to think and plan beyond the short term; the need for workforces

to embrace change; the need for companies, large and small, to

consider how to build sustainable enterprises in a world where

competition is tougher than ever.

This is the context for the FT ArcelorMittal Boldness in Business

Awards, now celebrating their third year. Since their inception,

the awards have established themselves as the premier accolades

in their category, thanks to their global reach and the impressive

credentials of our eight-member judging panel.

This year’s shortlist includes an impressive range of companies

straddling the world. Together they represent the latest thinking

in energy, finance, retail and technology in markets as diverse as

the US, France, the Middle East and China.

They follow previous award winners including Sergio

Marchionne, who has driven the turnround at Fiat and

Chrysler; the online innovators at Twitter and Google; the

intrepid explorers at Tullow Oil; Vale, the Brazilian mining

giant; and Huawei, the telecoms group, and Suntech, the

solar energy pioneers, both from China.

I hope readers will enjoy learning about the respective

accomplishments of the winners in this special report.

And I would like to thank my fellow judges for their

part in making this year’s awards such an exciting and

rewarding event.

Lionel Barber

FT editor