The threat by Chris Bell, the chief executive of Ladbrokes, to ban the bookmaker's 14,000 staff from using British Airways on business after a bad personal experience has excited wildly opposing views. Many praised him for taking a stance against the airline's poor customer service, while others criticised him for abusing his position to press a personal grievance.

The mistake BA made was not just in seeking to bump his teenage daughter and her friend off a flight from Barbados but in the way it dealt with his complaint. “Some bird rang up from a call centre and offered the two girls £20 vouchers each at the corporate shop. I said: ‘What do you expect them to buy with that - a teddy bear'?” His phraseology may not pass muster with the guardians of political correctness but the Yorkshireman is well known for not mincing his words.

Another recent episode that will doubtless have excited some straight-talking involved an approach by the rival bookmaker William Hill to Brian Wallace, the Ladbrokes finance director, over the vacant chief executive's position. There were strong rumours that Mr Wallace told the Ladbrokes chairman that he would only turn down the job if he was given an assurance that he would get Mr Bell's job.

Whatever the reality - the rumours were hotly denied by both protagonists - Mr Bell appears to have no intention of going anywhere any time soon.

The 50-year-old, who lists travel and flying among his interests, has worked at Labrokes since 1991. He became managing director in 1995 and was appointed to the board of its parent, Hilton Group, five years later. Two years ago, when the company's hotel interests were sold, he became group chief executive.

Mr Bell read business studies at Wolverhampton Polytechnic. Before going into gambling, he spent 12 years at Allied Breweries. The Ladbrokes boss removed the threat of a ban on his staff using BA only after receiving an apology from BA's chief executive, Willie Walsh, himself.