Chief executive, Dixons

John Browett Chief Executive Dixons

Less than a year after he was celebrating bumper TV sales as a result of the World Cup, Dixons boss John Browett was warning on profits as shoppers - spooked by a VAT rise and the coalition Government’s austerity programme - reined in spending.

But Browett is nevertheless one of the clear winners in the cut-throat electricals sector. Rival Comet is reeling and has replaced its chief executive. Best Buy remains a threat, especially through its connected world-format stores, but its big-box division is still too small to be much more than a gnat on the back of giant Dixons, which has revamped its shops.

A year ago Browett decided to readopt the original group name, Dixons, rather than DSGi. It was partly pure pragmatism - the Dixons name remained much better known among suppliers - but it also reflected Browett’s confidence that a brand that once had a bad reputation for service had been reinvented sufficiently to overcome negative associations.

He upped the ante too with the launch of service and services division Knowhow, which he hopes will eventually add “tens of millions to profits” as a result of the higher margins achievable. That Dixons can now make a virtue of its service proposition is testament to the impact Browett continues to have.