Brian McBrideFrom an anonymous office block in Slough, the managing director of Amazon.co.uk runs Britain's most popular online retailer. Books now account for only a third of sales, with CDs and DVDs providing another third and the rest coming from fast-growing new lines such as sports goods, watches, jewellery and household equipment. An amiable 52-year-old Scot, Brian McBride joined the company in January 2006, bringing with him more than 25 years' experience in the IT industry, most recently with Lucent, Dell (NASDAQ: DELL - News) and T-Mobile where he was managing director of the German mobile phone group's UK arm. A non-executive director of Celtic Football Club, he is on the board of SThree, the recruitment firm, and the British Retail Consortium.

Sir Steve RedgraveThe only British sportsman to have won gold medals in five consecutive Olympic Games, Sir Steve Redgrave - who lives in Marlow - has now retired from competitive rowing but is busy in the world of commerce. His FiveG clothing business has teamed up with the Debenhams Maine New England label to produce a range of men's clothing made from Fairtrade certified cotton from Mali. He has also created Redgrave Health & Leisure with his wife, a medic and former Olympic rower, to provide treatment and rehabilitation for sports injuries and other health programmes. Now in demand as a motivational speaker for business audiences, his face has also been seen on advertisements for consumer products such as Flora ProActiv, the cholesterol-busting spread, and Admiral insurance policies.

Peter JonesBest-known for his role as one of the panel of entrepreneurs on BBC2's Dragon's Den, Peter Jones grew up in the Thames Valley where his Phones International Group has its headquarters in Marlow. His first business was a tennis coaching school and in his 20s he ran a computer business that folded when his clients went under. In 1998, he founded his current business which distributes mobile phones and provides mobile data communication systems for organisations in the private and public sectors. As a Dragon, he has invested in several of the businesses that have pitched to the panel, including Reggae Reggae Sauce, created by the charismatic Levi Roots. Now he is developing new TV business reality shows, through his own company and with Simon Cowell, the TV personality and producer.

Mark PriceThe archaeology graduate thought of being a marine archaeologist or a professional golfer, but joined the John Lewis Partnership "because it had five yachts and two golf courses". Two and a half decades later, Mark Price is now one of the top three at John Lewis, as managing director of its fast-growing Waitrose grocery chain based at Bracknell. He started in Southampton, worked in Edinburgh, High Wycombe, Bristol and Cheadle before moving to Waitrose in 1998. Now he has plans to build a franchise network in the United Arab Emirates. A member of the John Lewis board since 2005, he has used his "not so chubby" blog to catalogue his efforts to lose weight, using Waitrose products recommended by the chain's in-house nutritionist.

Christina DomecqAt just 31, Christina Domecq is chief executive of Marlow-based SpinVox, a global business that converts voicemail to text messages. A serial entrepreneur since graduating at 20, the Spanish-born scion of the Domecq sherry dynasty and Daniel Doulton, her co-founder, chose the UK because speech technology was more advanced in English and the penetration of text messaging much higher than in the US. Now it employs more than 300 people in nine locations, providing the SpinVox service in four languages through mobile phone networks on four continents. Domecq, a sports enthusiast who has climbed Mont Blanc and run in the New York Marathon in the past year, forecasts a user base of 30m by the end of the year, raising a further $100m of funding in March.

Shaun WhittakerThe chief executive of Thames Valley Economic Partnership is no slouch when it comes to campaigning for more investment in transport infrastructure. A planner by trade, Shaun Whittaker has warned that congestion could halt growth of a region in competition with Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt, not the north of England. He joined the Partnership in July 2000, after more than 30 years in economic development, urban regeneration and inward investment - including a decade as development director of the Welsh Development Agency. Last year the Partnership attracted a record 54 overseas businesses to the region, and now he wants a new direct rail link to Heathrow, to save those businesses the thousands they are spending on taxis to reach the airport.

John MadejskiIt is hard to spend much time in Reading without coming across John Madejski's works. The football stadium, the art gallery, an academy and a lecture theatre at the university all bear his name - as does the Centre for Reputation at nearby Henley Management College. The entrepreneur, who sold his Auto Trader stable of magazines selling cars, bikes and trucks for £174m in 1998, is now worth around £400m, according to the Sunday Times Rich List, which rates him 195th in the league table. He has devoted himself to promoting his home town, not least through his investment in Reading FC, which is now in the premier league and profitable. His latest project is a £500m redevelopment of Reading town centre, and he has just become chancellor of the university - a remarkable achievement for a man who never passed an exam.

Heston BlumenthalBray, a 16th century village on the Thames in Berkshire, is home to two of the three UK restaurants awarded three stars in the Michelin Guide. Michel Roux won his third star for the Waterside Inn in 1985, but it is Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck which opened only in 1995 that is now making waves. The self-taught Londoner has won national and international acclaim for his "molecular gastronomy", producing dishes such as snail porridge and scrambled egg and bacon ice cream. Since he won his third star in 2004, reserving a table requires luck and persistence. However, his expertise will reach further when he devises a new menu for the Little Chef roadside fast-food chain as part of his next television series.