Furthermore, "this structure concentrates power in a single individual, which creates vulnerability if the chief executive behaves in an inappropriate manner," Mr. Breeden said.

The Sunday Telegraph can reveal that Mr Hancock and Mr Zahawi focus on reforms aimed at changing the way that companies and their executives behave.

He does not explain why parachutes are needed, to "encourage executives to behave in ways that serve the interests of corporate shareholders."

For his commitment, he was honored in dozens of ceremonies, even at the White House, as an example of how a chief executive should behave.

Does this mean that as a generalization women executives behave differently than men?

"This is surely not the way mature executives and mature boards should behave," he added.

Minor executives behave like bush-league Mussolinis to make humanity gape at the power they wield.

The executives at Global Motors could scarcely have behaved more wickedly if they had prefixed their horrendous corporate decisions with the words 'fee fi fo fum'.

When properly drawn, such arrangements can encourage executives to behave in ways that serve the interests of corporate shareholders.

Faced with a choice between optimizing a patient's chances and pleasing the corporation's investors, how do you suppose a chief executive will behave?