Global Business Leaders Speak for Themselves

10 April 2006

Corporate 'A' List to motivate IoD Convention 

Bosses of some of the world's biggest companies are all set to converge on London for the year's biggest business leaders' event on 26 April 2006. The Institute of Directors' Annual Convention, held as ever at the Royal Albert Hall, will showcase a world-class line up of CEOs, and entrepreneurs in front off more than 2,000 delegates.

Confirmed speakers include:

Steve Ballmer - CEO of Microsoft Corporation
The first business manager hired by Bill Gates when he formed the company in 1980, Steve Ballmer has collaborated with Gates over the last 25 years to build Microsoft into a phenomenal global power. Now the 24th richest person in the world, Ballmer need never work again but he remains as driven as ever.

Todd Stitzer - CEO of Cadbury Schweppes
During his tenure as CEO, Cadbury's confectionery has acquired Green & Black's, the UK's fastest growing chocolate brand. Named Britain's Most Admired Company in 2004, Stitzer said the company had "been nurtured by generations of principled leaders passionate about performance".

Douglas McCallum - MD of eBay.co.uk
Appointed MD of eBay.co.uk at the beginning of 2002, McCallum has steered the company to remarkable growth and success. eBay.co.uk is now the UK's number one e-commerce site, with trading likely to hit £4bn this year; equivalent to an astonishing 1.3 per cent of all retail sales.

Gianni Ciserani, MD, Procter & Gamble UK
Having been with the company since 1987 Gianni Ciserani is now responsible for the largest of Proctor & Gamble's businesses in Western Europe. This year, P&G completed the $57bn acquisition of Gillette. This was the biggest deal in P&G's 168 years and one that has put clear blue water between it and its nearest rivals.

Will Whitehorn - President, Virgin Galactic
Will Whitehorn, is leading one of the most visionary projects in the world today: the Virgin Galactic initiative to take paying passengers into outer space. This business project pushes the boundaries of the conventional. Along with Sir Richard Branson, Will is aiming to make the 'Final Frontier' a reality for tens of thousands of pioneering space tourists.

There will also be several panel debates during the day involving, amongst others:

• Jim Hyde, MD, T-Mobile 
• Trudy Norris-Grey, Vice President and MD, Sun Microsytems UK
• David Arkless, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Manpower
• Fiona Cannon, Deputy Chair of Equal Opportunities Commission
• Adam Balon, co-founder, Innocent Drinks
• Caroline Plumb, MD, FreshMinds
• Al Gosling, CEO, Extreme Sports
  

The event is open to all sections of the media.

Full press and broadcast facilities are available at the Royal Albert Hall on the day. For more information or to register for a press pass, please contact the IoD Press Office on 020 7451 3264, press@iod.com

Or visit www.iod.com/annualconvention