Paul Polman

On his first day as Unilever's chief executive in 2009, Polman scrapped quarterly earnings guidance and told hedge funds they were not welcome as shareholders. His Sustainable Living Plan tied the strategy to long-term goals, and in 2017 he fought off Kraft Heinz's takeover bid, which was built on cost-cutting. Unilever's returns under him were solid rather than spectacular, and after he left, investors pushed his successors back towards sharper financial targets.