Michael Woodford

Michael Woodford grew up in Liverpool and joined Olympus as a salesman, rising through the ranks to run its UK, European and global operations. In April 2011 he was appointed President and COO of the Olympus Corporation - the first Western salaryman to rise through the ranks to the top of a Japanese giant.

In recognition of his actions in the events described in Exposure he was named Businessman of the Year 2011 by The Sunday Times, The Independent and The Sun, and won The Financial Times Mittal Arecolor Award for Boldness in Business. He is 51 years old, and married with two children.