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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| First black FTSE 100 boss at Pru | First black FTSE 100 boss at Pru |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Tidjane Thiam will become chief executive of Prudential in October, becoming the first black head of a FTSE 100 company. | Tidjane Thiam will become chief executive of Prudential in October, becoming the first black head of a FTSE 100 company. |
| Mr Thiam joined Prudential from Aviva in 2007 and is now finance director at the firm. He will replace Mark Tucker. | Mr Thiam joined Prudential from Aviva in 2007 and is now finance director at the firm. He will replace Mark Tucker. |
| Originally from the Ivory Coast, Mr Thiam had previously been the country's Minister of Planning and Development. | Originally from the Ivory Coast, Mr Thiam had previously been the country's Minister of Planning and Development. |
| Mr Thiam will be one of a limited number of ethnic minorities who are represented in the UK's boardrooms. | Mr Thiam will be one of a limited number of ethnic minorities who are represented in the UK's boardrooms. |
| Earlier than expected | Earlier than expected |
| I hope Mr Thiam's achievements will inspire ethnic minority teenagers, entry-level workers and current employees to stand-up and be counted in the race for leadership Sandra Kerr, Director, Race for Opportunity Viewpoint: Watershed moment | |
| On Friday, Prudential shares were trading up 5.6% on the news of Mr Thiam's appointment, and on the company's higher-than-expected results released on Thursday. | On Friday, Prudential shares were trading up 5.6% on the news of Mr Thiam's appointment, and on the company's higher-than-expected results released on Thursday. |
| Prudential's operating profits were up 17% to £2.96bn in 2008, and it said it had strong reserves to weather the economic downturn. | Prudential's operating profits were up 17% to £2.96bn in 2008, and it said it had strong reserves to weather the economic downturn. |
| Mr Thiam, 46, will take up the reins as chief executive on October after Mr Tucker, 51, announced that he would step down earlier than expected. | |
| Mr Tucker has led the company for four-and-a-half years and has been at Prudential for 25 years. | Mr Tucker has led the company for four-and-a-half years and has been at Prudential for 25 years. |
| Commenting on his appointment Mr Thiam said: "It is a privilege to be a successor. In the meantime, I'm the chief financial officer and I have a job to do, that is what I intend to focus on in the next six months." | Commenting on his appointment Mr Thiam said: "It is a privilege to be a successor. In the meantime, I'm the chief financial officer and I have a job to do, that is what I intend to focus on in the next six months." |
| THIAM'S CAREER SO FAR March 2009: Appointed successor to Prudential CEO Mark Tucker Named second most influential black Briton in 2008Chief executive, Europe at insurance giant AvivaPartner with management consultants McKinsey & CompanyChief executive, National Bureau for Technical Studies and Development, Ivory CoastMinister of Planning and Development in Ivory Coast governmentStudied engineering in Paris and gained MBA from INSEAD Tidjane Thiam: A life story | |
| An avid Arsenal supporter, he studied engineering in Paris and obtained an MBA from INSEAD. Before working at Aviva for five years, he was employed at McKinsey's Paris offices. | An avid Arsenal supporter, he studied engineering in Paris and obtained an MBA from INSEAD. Before working at Aviva for five years, he was employed at McKinsey's Paris offices. |
| Mr Thiam joins the few ethnic minorities such as Damon Buffini, boss of private equity firm Permira, represented in the UK's boardrooms. | Mr Thiam joins the few ethnic minorities such as Damon Buffini, boss of private equity firm Permira, represented in the UK's boardrooms. |
| "He is immensely charming," said ING equities analyst Kevin Ryan. | "He is immensely charming," said ING equities analyst Kevin Ryan. |
| "He has a brain the size of two solar systems, he is a very, very clever bloke," he added. | "He has a brain the size of two solar systems, he is a very, very clever bloke," he added. |
| Sandra Kerr, director of Race for Opportunity which campaigns for equality in the workplace, described Mr Thiam's appointment as a "watershed" moment. | |
| "I hope that Tidjane Thiam's achievements will inspire ethnic minority teenagers, entry-level workers and current employees to stand-up and be counted in the race for leadership," she wrote in a viewpoint piece for the BBC News website. | |
| "However, it should be remembered that Tidjane Thiam was born and educated outside of the United Kingdom. His success should not be claimed as a success for the promotion of ethnic minorities from classroom to boardroom in the United Kingdom". |