No. 27 John Hodgson, CEO, Cambridge Silicon Radio

Last year's position: Not placed

Time was when, if you mentioned a chip-making rainmaker from Cambridge in the UK, people would assume you were talking about Sir Robin Saxby at ARM. Now CSR's John Hodgson is rightly being elevated to the premier league.

One of only two individuals in the list for whom silicon is bread and butter - see Intel's Otellini two places higher - Hodgson is a well-travelled exec whose CV reads like a who's who of the semiconductor industry.

Last year he presided over one of the UK's, and one of tech's, most successful IPOs, and the company's dominant position in Bluetooth chips for short-range wireless is legendary - as one of our panellists points out, you probably have one in your mobile phone and laptop right now - while growth in other standards such as Wi-Fi is coming.

A low-key CEO - don't Google 'John Hodgson' unless you want to hear more about a body-builder known as 'Mr Condition' - but an influential one, no doubt.