An ambitious forest engineer who had executed a turnaround at a state-owned coal operation, his biggest challenge was to rid SQM of its inefficient state-owned mentality.

FORBES: Patricio Contesse's white gold

Bakrie was said to be seeking a public bailout for its Bumi Resources via a state-owned coal company.

FORBES: Bailing Out Indonesia's Bakrie: Commodity Brokers To The Rescue?

She took on Britain's labor unions and whittled the size of the state through sweeping privatizations and the closure of unprofitable state-owned enterprises, from coal mines to steel plants.

WSJ: Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Dies

She took on Britain's then-powerful labor unions and whittled the size of the state through sweeping privatizations and the closure of unprofitable state-owned enterprises, from coal mines to steel plants.

WSJ: Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher Dies

During his two and a half years running Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) on the northern coast of KwaZulu Natal, Mr Dlamini has done much to improve tense relations with the government and the state-owned rail company that brings coal to the terminal.

ECONOMIST: Face value

He cites China, where partly state-owned power firms are applying for credits for building gas-fired power plants instead of dirtier ones run on coal.

ECONOMIST: Climate change