Brian Patterson, CEO
Brian Patterson is the CEO of Wedgwood, the venerable pottery and ceramics manufacturer founded in 1759. The Irish executive got his start in business as a humble cost clerk with Guinness. Since becoming Wedgwood's CEO in 1995, he has overseen some of the biggest changes in the company's long history. Cheaper foreign competition is threatening to drive traditional British giants like Wedgwood out of business. As CEO, Patterson must act to protect Wedgwood's market share and, of course, the shareholders' investments.

Patterson, a "ruthless modernizer," has cut wages and replaced some workers with robots. But has he considered the effect of his decisions on the workers at Wedgwood factories? How do his workers feel about the company's practices? And are those robots working out as planned? Patterson has a lot to learn as he goes to work for one week in a Wedgwood factory.

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