LONDON — Management can make all the difference to a company’s success and, thus, its share price.

The best companies are those run by talented and experienced leaders with strong vested interests in the success of the business, held in check by a board with sound financial and business acumen. Some of the worst investments to hold are those run by executives collecting fat rewards as the underlying business goes to pot.

In this series, I’m assessing the boardrooms of companies within the FTSE 100. I hope to separate the management teams that are worth following from those that are not. Today, I am looking at Compass Group , the world’s largest contract caterer.

Here are the key directors:

Heavyweight
Sir Roy Gardner has been chairman since 2006. In his executive career, he rose through the finance functions of GEC to succeed Arnold Weinstock as Managing director of GEC-Marconi. He joined British Gas as finance director in 1994 to oversee the demerger of Centrica, subsequently becoming CEO of Centrica.

Regarded as a City heavyweight, his non-executive career has not been without controversy. He became chairman of “fast-growing” property services group Connaught in May 2010, only to go into administration six months later. In the world of football, he became chairman and part-owner of Plymouth Argyle in 2009, resigning the next year shortly before it entered administration.

Sir Roy recently announced he will retire next year.

Low profile
Richard Cousins has also been in post since 2006, but the CEO is a lower-profile character. He began his career in planning roles with Cadbury Schweppes and BTR, joining plasterboard maker BPB in 1990, and rising to become CEO in 2000. He took BPB into the FTSE 100, leaving for Compass when the firm was taken over by Saint-Gobain.

Compass’s shares have tripled during the tenure of the current chairman and CEO.

More accountants
A chartered accountant, Dominic Blakemore has been finance director for just 12 months. He was previously FD of Iglo Foods, which he joined from Cadbury, where he held various posts, including European Finance Director, and Group Financial Controller.

Compass’s two divisional directors are also former finance professionals. Gary Green has been with the company since 1986, initially in finance roles, joining the board in 2007.

Andrew Martin joined as finance director in 2004, having previously been FD of First Choice Holidays. His move to run Europe and Japan was part of a reshuffle on the arrival of Dominic Blakemore, to free the CEO to concentrate on developing Compass’s emerging markets business.

Compass’s senior independent director Sir James Crosby abruptly resigned this week in the wake of criticism over his stewardship of HBOS. The timing is unfortunate, with the chairman having recently announced his retirement, but the company swiftly replaced him with Sir Ian Robinson, a director since 2006, and former chairman of Ladbrokes. However, the team of five non-execs look a little thin.

I analyze

From: http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/04/11/the-men-who-run-compass-group/