Speakers Corner will feature some of the world's most influential management thinkers in the run up to The Thinkers 50

In 2001, The Thinkers 50 was borne out of is a simple question 'who is the most influential living management thinker?  The bi-annual poll is the definitive guide to the world's most influential living management thinkers and is the first global ranking of business gurus.

The 2009 poll is underway and votes from business people, consultants, academics and MBA students throughout the world will be counted, resulting in a short-list of 80 names.  Votes can be cast at www.timesonline.co.uk/management and voting closes at midnight on August 18th.

In the coming weeks, Speakers Corner will feature some of these thinkers, conference speakers and business gurus, in news articles. 

Here is a list of the 2007 winners with their placement in previous years:

1  CK PRAHALAD (3)
2  Bill GATES (2)
3  Alan GREENSPAN (35)
4  Michael PORTER (1)
5  Gary HAMEL (14)
6  Chan KIM & Renée MAUBORGNE (15)
7  Tom PETERS (4)
8  Jack WELCH (5)
9  Richard BRANSON (11)
10  Jim COLLINS (6)
11  Philip KOTLER (7)
12  Robert KAPLAN & David NORTON (22)
13  Kjell NORDSTRÖM & Jonas RIDDERSTRÅLE (9)
14  Charles HANDY (10)
15  Stephen COVEY (18)
16  Henry MINTZBERG (8)
17  Thomas A. STEWART (13)
18  Malcolm GLADWELL (31)
19  Lynda GRATTON (34)
20  Donald Trump (-)
21  Scott ADAMS (12)
22  Ram CHARAN (24)
23  Vijay GOVINDARAJAN (30)
24  Warren BENNIS (27)
25  Clayton CHRISTENSEN (21)
26  Thomas FRIEDMAN (-)
27  Kenichi OHMAE (16)
28  Rosabeth MOSS KANTER (19)
29  Steve JOBS (-)
30  John KOTTER (-)
31  Jeff IMMELT (-)
32  Rob GOFFEE & Gareth JONES (45)
33  Adrian SLYWOTSKY (-)
34  Marshall GOLDSMITH (-)
35  Bill GEORGE (-)
36  Larry BOSSIDY (-)
37  Daniel GOLEMAN (-)
38  Marcus BUCKINGHAM (-)
39  Howard GARDNER (-)
40  Edward DE BONO (-)
41  Al GORE (-)
42  David ULRICH (-)
43  Seth GODIN (-)
44  Costas MARKIDES (49)
45  Rakesh KHURANA (33)
46  Richard D'AVENI (-)
47  Peter SENGE (23)
48  Chris ARGYRIS (28)
49  Jeffrey PFEFFER (-)
50  Chris ZOOK (-)