Chris Gent

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Sir Christopher Gent (Beckenham, Kent, May 10, 1948) is the former chief executive officer of Vodafone, a British cell-phone company. After retiring in July 2003, he was awarded the honorary title of Company's President for Life on his departure as a mark of his achievement in developing the company, till his resignation from that position in March 2006. The title carried no salary, nor any advisory responsibilities, but was a symbolic link to the business that few former chief executives are allowed to retain.

Gent, widely credited with transforming Vodafone from a small British company into a global giant, and who engineered Vodafone's 178 billion euro ($212 billion) historic purchase of Germany's Mannesmann in 2000.

He is now Chairman of GlaxoSmithKline, a British pharmaceutical company.

From October 2005 to October 2006 he served on the Tax Reform Commission, established by the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne MP.