Finalists: Greg McMahon, Mitchells & Butlers • Michael Rasmuson, Baker Hughes • Natalie Jobling, Network Rail • Neil Harnby, Royal Mail • Simon Dowson-Collins, HarperCollins

Before she surprised the City by stepping down last month, Thomas Cook’s group chief executive, Harriet Green, had these words to say about her lead in-house lawyer, Craig Stoehr: “Before [his] appointment, Thomas Cook had no general counsel or unified and effective legal team. Craig has built a global team…[which] now truly represents the communities and customers that we serve.”