Sir Terry scoops first prize in poll of top retailers

Retail Week readers have voted Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy the most admired UK retailer of the past 15 years.

Under his leadership, Tesco has become Britain's biggest and most profitable store group, and has expanded successfully overseas and online.

George Davies, best known for his work at Next, Asda and M&S, followed closely in second place. Third and fourth were Arcadia owner Philip Green and Charles Dunstone, chief executive of Carphone Warehouse.

Three of the top 10 were from overseas. Italian Vittorio Radice, former Selfridges chief executive, came fifth.

At number eight was Swede Goran Nilsson, former chief executive of Ikea in the UK, while the American chief executive of Burberry, Rose Marie Bravo, was voted in at number 10.

The press may slate Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, but he made it in at 23, beating Sir Geoff Mulcahy, former chief executive of Kingfisher, who came in at 24.

- Retailers' retailer: page 14.