Rollercoaster: The Turbulent Life and Times of Vodafone and Chris Gent - Hardcover

Merriden, Trevor

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1841124311 ISBN 13: 9781841124315

Publisher: Capstone, 2003

Synopsis

Rollercoaster is a fast-paced and compelling business narrative that chronicles one of the most dramatic periods in business history. It is the story of Chris Gent and Vodafone.

Loved by the City as a brilliant dealmaker, Gent himself is often described by those who know him as affable and self-effacing. Yet he has somehow fostered a deeply engrained culture of ruthless ambition in those who run Vodafone in his name. But as the telecommunications sector has imploded, Vodafone has been swept along by bad news amongst accusations of poor acquisitions, over-investment and "fat cat" payouts for Gent himself. Trevor Merriden charts the dramatic rise of Gent and Vodafone and assesses the underlying forces driving the man and the company. He examines the turbulent recent history, of Gent's resignation, and asks searching questions about the future of the company.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

Vodafone is today the largest mobile telecommunications network group in the world. Its phenomenal growth in recent years has come to be associated largely with one person, chief executive Sir Christopher Gent.

The six years of Gent’s tenure has been a massive rollercoaster ride for both Vodafone and himself. After taking over as Vodafone chief executive in January 1997, he enjoyed huge success in developing it into an international powerhouse. When the technology bubble burst, Gent and Vodafone took a seriously scary and prolonged downward plunge. Stocks slid to less than a quarter of the peak value and big questions were raised over his stewardship of his company.

In Rollercoaster, Trevor Merriden charts the dramatic ups and downs of Vodafone and Gent, and he assesses the underlying forces driving the man and the company - from the early days of Gent and the battle for Mannesmann, through to why Gent left, what his legacy is and what his successor will bring.

The story of Vodafone and Gent is paradoxical. Loved by the City as a brilliant dealmaker, Gent himself is often described by those who know him as affable and self-effacing. Yet he has somehow fostered a deeply engrained culture of ruthless ambition in those who run Vodafone in his name.

Above all, Rollercoaster is a fast-paced and compelling business narrative that chronicles one of the most dramatic periods in business history.

From the Back Cover:

Here's what the critics said about the Trevor Merriden's book IRRESISTIBLE FORCES - The Business Legacy of Napster and the Growth of the Underground Internet:"It is wonderful journal-of-record stuff ...."

- The Guardian

"In this captivating account ... Irresistible Forces is an essential read ... and for any interested web user, it's a fine browse".

- Globebooks.com"... well researched and brilliantly clear. [It's] not the only book written about Napster but ... for sheer readability it is highly recommended."

- M2Communications.com"The story is gripping reading, but Merriden's grasp of the wider implications is even more impressive."

- Cre@te Online"The book is a very good read, absorbing and informative ... a great source of information on the history of Napster and the file-sharing movement and is worth reading for this alone."

- Brand Republic"...detailed and enjoyable...Irresistible Forces is a soundtrack for the new worl d of the internet." - The Manager

About this edition

• Publisher: Capstone
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1841124311
• ISBN 13: 9781841124315
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256