Rudiger Grube, Deutsche Bahn Chief Executive

Why is he on the list?

He heads Europe’s pre-eminent transport group.

What kind of year has he had?

Continued expansion from Northern Europe to the Middle East and China. Calls for DB to make greater domestic investment, and questions about possible restructuring and privatisation remain in the background. However little has distracted the company from its remorseless growth and system development through new technology. DB is expected to report turnover in 2011 of around €40bn as domestic revenue grew and Arriva made a full year contribution.

What’s coming up in 2012?

Greater competition at home following legal rulings on market opening, but they will barely dent in DB’s dominance as Europe’s largest passenger rail and freight rail operator, and Germany’s largest bus operator to boot.