17 Adam Fowle managing director, Mitchells & Butlers (M&B) Restaurants (new entry) Mike Bramley managing director, Mitchells & Butlers Pubs & Bars (18)

Why they are on the list:

Bramley runs M&B's predominantly wet-led pubs, which sport recognisable high-street names such as O'Neills, Flares and Goose. Fowle, a M&B long-time staffer who had two years working at Sainsbury's. was appointed to the post of head of restaurants at the start of the year, replacing departed pub food guru Tony Hughes, who carried all before him during his reign at the company.

What the past year has held:

M&B's price-conscious business model now sees it serving 110 million meals a year. Bramley has overseen the evolution of brands such as O'Neill's and It's a Scream, with the high-street segment enjoying an 11% lift in food sales in the past year. Sizzling Pub Company (now at 191 sites) and Cornerstone (now at 20 sites) are seeing particular food success in the blue-collar market. Fowle is credited with an adroit turnaround of Vintage Inns — it was down 4% in sales terms last year, but a reinvestment of margin in food quality has seen it marching ahead again in sales terms.

Challenges ahead:

Bramley faces tough high-street market challenges, and will be tasked with driving food sales from 22% of turnover in his segment to the high 30% figure boss Tim Clarke wants to see within five years. Fowle will have to focus on sales development at the former Whitbread sites acquired in 2006 that mostly sit in his segment. Overall, sales are up 19%, but Clarke has promised investors 30% by the end of the 2009 financial year.