Nigel Parsons, Al Jazeera (Qatar)

Nigel Parsons has been a busy man since he became md of Al Jazeera International less than two years ago. Since August 2004, he has helped build the subsidiary of the Arab news net from scratch. In a year-and-a-half, the network built its headquarters in Doha, and patched together a global distribution network of cable and satellite operators, all in an unfamiliar cultural environment. 'It has been an enormous technical challenge,' says Parsons. 'This is, far and away, the biggest challenge I've taken on and probably the last of its kind.' Nevertheless, rehearsals are now underway. Though Parsons won't say exactly when the launch is scheduled, he will say the subsidiary is 'in the final furlong.'