STREET WISE
Gathering of the wise men
When you climb to the highest summit - whether in politics or business - you must adopt a new approach in viewing the world down below.
As it is no longer possible to get first-hand information, you need to surround yourself with people who can provide the right data and far-sighted views. Only then can you shape the right policies.Whether you will be a respected leader or not depends on their opinions. That must be the thinking of Finance Minister Gordon Brown, the man tipped to succeed Tony Blair as the next British prime minister The British Treasury announced on Tuesday that some of the world's top business leaders, including Microsoft founder Bill Gates, would advise Brown on the global economy. The International Business Advisory Council (IBAC) will include JP Garnier, chief executive of British pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, and Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive of French luxury products group LVMH. "The council will advise on how we can do more to rise to the challenges we face and ensure that the UK remains one of the world's key locations of choice for high value-added activity," Agence France-Presse quoted Brown as saying in an official Treasury statement. The IBAC panel will hold one annual meeting at 11 Downing Street, Brown's official residence. The first huddle will be held later this year, while the panel will run for an initial three year-period. The 12-member panel also includes James Wolfensohn, who retired as president of the World Bank last year, and John Browne, chief executive of energy giant BP. Other chief executives set to advise Brown are John Rose, of British aerospace giant Rolls-Royce, Terry Leahy of Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer, Lee Scott of US giant Wal-Mart and Meg Whitman of online auction service eBay. The remaining members are Robert Rubin, director and executive committee chairman of Citigroup, Li Ka-shing, chairman of Hong Kong's ports-to-telecom group Hutchison Whampoa, and Ratan Tata, chairman of Indian conglomerate Tata Group. All those names are stunning for their achievements in their areas. Unfortunately, the panel does not include Thaksin Shinawatra. This businessman-turned-politician has also achieved a stunning track record. From an initial investment of Bt20 million two decades ago, his investment value skyrocketed to culminate in an ultimate windfall of Bt73.2 billion. Maybe Brown could pick him for the next panel. There is one problem, though. The two-time Thai prime minister might not see this post as interesting enough to leave behind his bright political career at home. achara_d@nationgroup.com
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