People to Watch In International Business

By Kathleen Kingsbury, Julie Norwell

John E. Pepper Jr. A GOOD GAMBLE

When he was CEO of Proctor & Gamble, John Pepper was one of several chief execs forced to disrupt its chummy corporate culture. As the newly appointed nonexecutive chairman of the Walt Disney Co., he may aim to keep things calm. A shareholder revolt forced the board to remove CEO Michael Eisner as chairman in 2004 and opt for a nonexec chair. Although Pepper lacks media experience, A.G. Edwards analyst Michael Kupinski says Disney will benefit from Pepper's global-branding background as it expands worldwide. With shares up 30% since October, Disney's shareholders have been as quiet as a you-know-what. --By Julie Norwell

Louis Gallois and Christian Streiff LIFTOFF

How many CEOs does it take to run a pan-European defense company? The answer is still two, for European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co. (EADS), owner of Airbus. And that might still be one too many. Delays in building the A380 megajet led to the ouster of EADS co-CEO Noel Forgeard as well as Airbus' top boss. Filling Forgeard's spot is Louis Gallois, head of France's railways, who will partner with EADS's remaining CEO, Tom Enders, a German. At Airbus, naming Christian Streiff CEO should placate two of EADS's largest shareholders, the French government and Germany's DaimlerChrysler. Streiff, from Lorraine, speaks German. But as Warren Bennis, leadership guru at U.S.C., says, "Chemistry is less important here than deciding their collective definition of success." Perhaps they can start with getting the A380 off the ground. --By Kathleen Kingsbury

Patricia Woertz HIGH OCTANE

Renewable energy has got more interesting since Woertz, an executive at Chevron, was named CEO of Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM), a $36 billion agricultural processor. The move suggests that ADM--which turns grains and oil seeds into syrups, flour, feed and other products--sees ethanol and biodiesel as bigger parts of its future. Indeed, last month Woertz announced "robust" investment plans for its ethanol business. "Whether it's food, feed or fuel, I think there are great opportunities to expand across our portfolio," she says. So, what about running the largest woman-led company in the U.S.? Her focus is on leading the company, she says, not her status. --J.N.