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31. Christian Knapp (29) – KBA

Why What do Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando, Clint Eastwood, James Dean and KBA’s UK managing director Knapp have in common? They either were, or still are, massive fans of Triumph motorbikes at some point in their colourful lives. When Knapp’s not relaxing with a good book, playing golf or jetting off around the globe to secure yet another press deal, he enjoys nothing better than to take his classic Triumph Bonneville out for a spin. Knapp is known as a relentlessly hard worker who is fully committed to the printing industry and to KBA, where he has helped to build the business into a major force – especially among point of sale printers. His strong work ethic is something that colleagues list as one of his finest attributes and when he’s not extolling the virtues of KBA machinery, he is an active Picon council member.

32. Norman Revill (30) – Manroland

Why Leading from the front is the modus operandi of Norman Revill, Manroland GB’s managing director, and he certainly proved his impeccable leadership skills at Drupa, where he played a key part in unveiling the company’s new corporate identity. Revill, who is a keen golfer and family man, wasn’t content with the continental fodder served up for breakfast at his German hotel, so he took matters into his own hands, stocked up on supplies and prepared a first-class full English breakfast for his colleagues complete with bacon, eggs, sausage, beans, mushrooms and a fried slice. There’s nothing like a good old fashioned English breakfast to give you a good start to the day, believes Revill, who has been with the firm for just shy of 20 years now and made a lasting mark on the print industry with the £600m deal to supply News International’s new press halls.

33. Nicky Mason (31) – IIR Exhibitions

Why IIR’s charismatic managing director is one of the most powerful people in the global print exhibitions business with shows under her wing including Northprint, Total Print! Expo (incorporating Digital Print World) and the daddy of them all, Ipex. She loves travelling – in particular to India and the Far East – and, according to colleagues, is an inspirational and very approachable leader. She’s always got time to talk to you about any issues no matter how large or small, or how busy she is, says one current co-worker. Mason is respected nationally and globally by customers and fellow exhibition organisers alike and although she’s prepared to say it like it is when necessary, she will always do so with a smile.

34. Charles Murray (33) – Sun Chemical

Why 2008 has been another incredibly busy year for Sun Chemical’s corporate vice president Charles Murray, who heads up the UK, Ireland and Scandinavia operations. The market is moving at such a fast pace, with the rising price of raw materials resulting in ink price hikes, so a lot rests on his shoulders, but the ink giant keeps on coming back with innovations. Most recently, it used Drupa to launch what it claims is a world first in UV curing inks for sheetfed offset printing, Suncure Advantage. Outside the industry Murray cites his interests as motorcycle race bikes and the occasional round of golf – when he can find the time.

35. Nicholas Green (48) – Tangent Communications

Why Green has doubled the size of Tangent in the past year and is one of a growing band of print professionals pioneering digital and making solid margins. During the past 12 months, the company has successfully bedded in Ravensworth, which it acquired in 2007, and subsequently posted a 128% rise in profits. Green also launched a bid for fellow AIM listed e-marketing company TMN. However, the bid failed and many harked back to last year’s audacious bid for St Ives, claiming that the approach was merely a publicity stunt. Such doubters should underestimate the man at their peril – he has the backing of Tangent’s shareholders for expansion and is always on the lookout for further acquisitions. Green is married with two sons and spends what little leisure time he has playing tennis and watching Formula One.

36. Catherine Hearn (73) – Polestar

Why Since taking on responsibility for Polestar’s full manufacturing and printing operations in December 2006, Hearn has rarely been out of the headlines. Despite stepping down as chair of the Proskills Print Forum, she returned to head up its National Skills Academy. Formerly in charge of HR at Polestar, Hearn is a big believer in training. The UK is one of the largest economies in the world but its prosperity has been constrained by its under-invested skills base, she says. Closer to home, she has presided over the relocation of Polestar’s head office, created a £45m turnover division through the merger of Wheatons, Direct and Applied Solutions, and taken the hard decision to close Polestar Greaves. However, with a merger between Polestar and Wyndeham allegedly on the cards, her biggest task could lie ahead.

37. Pat Martell (NEW) – St Ives

Why Many people attribute St Ives’ recent revival of fortunes to the dream team of Simon Ward and Pat Martell and the latter’s efforts clearly haven’t gone unnoticed by the print behemoth’s board of directors, who elevated him to managing director for UK operations last year. According to colleagues he is a thinker that understands the principal of why have a dog and bark yourself. Martell empowers people to make decisions on their own although he expects the reporting and communication lines to be adhered to strongly. He is a stern taskmaster but has a wonderful dry sense of humour, which has been known to bring a smile to many a board meeting, according to a well-placed source.

38. Neil Sutton (36) – Komori

Why Komori’s tough talking UK managing director has gained a reputation for being a dedicated individual who commits 100% to his endeavours. Komori as a whole has been pretty committed to new products this year – a new Lithrone SX29, presses for the packaging and label sectors, plus an enhanced Lithrone 44. Cricket fan Sutton has seen plenty of developments since joining Komori in 1996 and his passion is likely to drive the UK division further following its success in increasing its market share over the years.

39. James Povey (37) – Polestar

Why His unswerving focus on customer service and his devotion to duty above and beyond the norm sets Povey apart. Underneath his immaculately fragrant exterior beats the heart of a passionate print professional with an encyclopaedic knowledge of his client base. He’s put a massive amount of work into the IPC tender and Polestar should be well-placed to reap the rewards of the publisher’s review. Despite the long hours and long lunches required by his role, Povey keeps in tip-top shape and is something of a Jujitsu expert.It takes energy and drive to do his job and some people would have run out of gas long ago, observes a colleague.

40. Steve Nunn (NEW) – Williams Lea

Why Somewhat surprisingly, this is the first time Nunn has appeared in the list of print’s top powerbrokers. However, if the Power 100 was judged purely on new business, Steve Nunn would be the undisputed number one. Last autumn, he secured a billion-dollar direct marketing contract with the Reader’s Digest Association (RDA) that promises to nudge Williams Lea’s annual turnover to somewhere near the £900m mark. Not content to sit and admire his achievements, Nunn, who is managing director of Williams Lea’s marketing solutions division, is convinced that there is a lot of room for growth in the BPO market. We haven’t even scratched the surface yet, he says.