Tom Albanese is internet's most talked about FTSE 100 boss

Rio Tinto boss Tom Albanese pipped former Northern Rock CEO Adam Applegarth to head the list of the internet's most talked about FTSE 100 bosses during 2007. This emerges from the latest BossBuzz Monitor data published by Propeller Communications’ Internet PR division, which specialises in personal identity management.

Albanese’s top place was due mainly to the consistent and extensive coverage of the mining industry in key economies in North America, Australia and South Africa. Both the volume and the quality of coverage in these economies helped to push Albanese ahead of other FTSE 100 bosses who obtained greater coverage from sites based in the UK and Europe.

The integration of global mining and packaging company Alcan into Rio Tinto and the more recent approach from BHP Billiton also helped to push Albanese to the top of the pile, as did Rio Tinto’s communications strategy of placing Albanese at the forefront of its public announcements.

The Top 20 (including percentage of total internet coverage for FTSE 100 bosses in 2007) were;

1) Tom Albanese (Rio Tinto) 4.7%
2) Adam Applegarth (Northern Rock) 4.5%
3) Marius Kloppers (BHP Billiton) 4.1%
4) Michael Grade (ITV) 4%
5) Sir Terry Leahy (Tesco) 3.3%
6) Willie Walsh (British Airways) 3.15%
7) Sir Fred Goodwin (Royal Bank of Scotland) 3%
8) Sandy Crombie (Standard Life) 2.8%
9) Arun Sarin (Vodafone) 2.6%
10) Lord Browne (BP) 2.5%
11) Justin King (J. Sainsbury) 2.1%
12) Stuart Rose (Marks & Spencer) 2.1%
13) Cynthia Carroll (Anglo American) 2%
14) Sir Martin Sorrell (WPP) 1.9%
15) Jeroen Van Der Veer (Royal Dutch Shell) 1.75%
16) Dr Jean-Paul Garnier (GlaxoSmithKline) 1.69%
17) Charles Dunstone (Carphone Warehouse) 1.68%
18) John Varley (Barclays) 1.6%
19) Graham MacKay (SABMiller) 1.54%
20) Mike Turner (BAE Systems) 1.5%

During a volatile 2007 which saw top management teams under pressure, this year’s Top 20 reflects the difficulties which some FTSE 100 companies faced. Northern Rock’s Adam Applegarth, ITV’s Michael Grade, Standard Life’s Sandy Crombie and BP’s Lord Browne all owe much of their position to the problems of the businesses they lead – or led.

Sir Fred Goodwin, Willie Walsh and Arun Sarin were also not immune from pressure as the impact of the credit crunch as well as criticism over strategic decisions and the performance of the business persisted.

The nature of the individuals and of the industries they work in also affected the list. High profile retailers such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer generate more interest both within the media and the general public, who contribute significantly to internet coverage through blogs and personal websites. Banks, communications providers, oil companies and arms manufacturers, also top the list of many bloggers’ targets for criticism or praise.

Propeller’s BossBuzz Monitor – December 2007

Propeller’s Internet PR division also publishes a monthly Top 5, revealing the most talked about FTSE 100 bosses. In December these were;

1) Tom Albanese (Rio Tinto) 7.3%
2) Marius Kloppers (BHP Billiton) 5.1%
3) Sir Fred Goodwin (Royal Bank of Scotland) 4.7%
4) Sir Terry Leahy (Tesco) 3.6%
5) Jeremy Darroch (BSkyB) 2.9%

About Propeller BossBuzz Monitor

Propeller Communications established a specialist Internet PR division in 2007. This division also provides clients with intelligence on internet comment surrounding their brands and issues. The Propeller BossBuzz Monitor is an ongoing research project which tracks total internet coverage, including blog comments, on FTSE 100 bosses.

Propeller Communications
2nd Floor, Royalty House
Dean Street,
London W1D 3SG
+44 (0)20 7437 3353
http://www.propellercom.com

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Propeller Communications delivers impactful and high profile Public Relations campaigns that make a real difference. Propeller is a PR consultancy with specialists in different areas of the media, including broadcasting, journalism, trade, corporate and consumer PR. By applying our bright PR ideas to our carefully-nurtured network of media contacts, we help you communicate in a compelling way.

This release was published on openPR.