Sir Nigel Rudd has garnered a reputation as something of a serial deal-maker. That reputation was underpinned in 2005 when it emerged that Alliance UniChem and Boots were in merger talks. The completion of that deal paved the way for the eventual sale of the enlarged group to private-equity-backed investors. The deal, backed by KKR, was the first instance of a FTSE 100 company being taken private.

Meanwhile at Pendragon, the car dealer, Sir Nigel, as chairman, played a role in trying to do a three-way deal that would have combined the group with rivals Lookers and Reg Vardy. Pendragon succeeded with the latter deal, but not the former.

He was also chairman of Pilkington, the glass maker sold to Japan's Nippon Sheet Glass last year.

Sir Nigel was, at 20, Britain's youngest chartered accountant, encouraged to the profession by his parents.

Born in Derby, he made his mark at Williams Holdings, transforming the group from a small car dealership into an industrial giant through acquisitions in the 1980s and 1990s.

The 61-year-old businessman is currently deputy chairman of Barclays and also a non-executive director of BAE Systems and Sappi, a South African paper company. He also continues to sit on the Pendragon board as non-executive chairman.

Married with three childen, he skis, shoots and plays golf.

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