2. Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya, Warwick Manufacturing Group

Professor Lord Kumar Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya founded Warwick Manufacturing Group in 1980.

Starting with an office, a chair and perhaps a secretary, over the years he has built one of the greatest manufacturing centres.

WMG trains more than 1,000 students, has a turnover of more than £100 million, and has got links worldwide.

It works with an amazing array of companies such as Airbus, Barclays, Corus, Rolls-Royce, Royal Bank of Scotland, Astra Zeneca, BAE Systems, and Network Rail.

WMG is home to 500 academics and researchers.

This month sees the launch of Warwick Digital Lab, a £50 million initiative aimed at boosting research opportunities, and it could be doubled in size - work is scheduled to begin on a second £50 million lab later this year or early 2009 to develop areas like neuromarketing and digital media.

Professor Bharracharyya advised the Thatcher government and advises Gordon Brown today.

He is known for his marketing flare and grasp of the big picture. He has contacts across the globe and was behind the arrival of Indian group Tata in the West Midlands.

It has since bought Jaguar and Land Rover.

He is a Labour peer and speaks regularly in the House of Lords, thriving on the intrigue of the political hurly-burly.

Critics claim he is prone to exaggerate but, given all he has achieved, who would occasionally begrudge him that?

WMG's close relations with industry and its record on innovation are admired around the world. It has been built on cutting edge research and knowledge transfer.

"You don't argue with Kumar because in my experience he is always right," one of the top movers and shakers in the region confided.

Indeed it could be said that Professor Bhattacharyya has probably been the single most influential individual in transforming the West Midlands economy.

He once worked for the long gone Lucas Industries. Now he lives in Birmingham in Joseph Lucas's former home.