Age: 50
Nationality: Finnish
www.nokia.com

Ollila has proved that Europeans can lead the world in consumer electronics. For the last decade Nokia has created sexier, more innovative products than its competitors.

By granting stock options to many of its employees, the company has begun to change the way Finns think about capitalism. Analysts predict that Nokia could beat fourth-quarter revenue estimates — even though the wireless access protocol (WAP) phones in which the company invested heavily were over-hyped and have undersold.

Nokia is well positioned for the shift to general packet radio services (GPRS) and third-generation (3G) devices that offer high-speed, always-on mobile Internet access. Ollila wants to shore up another side of Nokia's business, building the mobile systems that operators need to offer always-on Internet.

The vision thing: "The mobile phone will become the 'remote control' for life."

Forward spin: Nokia is branching off into new directions, including building wireless Internet connections for cars and developing products for Bluetooth, a new standard for high-bandwidth wireless connections inside a home or office.

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