Power. Shakespeare had a word or two on the subject. So, by way of introduction, here's the opening quatrain of Sonnet 94. "They that have power to hurt and will do none/That do not do the thing they most do show/Who, moving others, are themselves as stone/Unmoved, cold and to temptation slow/ They rightly..." won't appear in our Power List, no matter how many of "nature's riches they husband from expense", even if they will "inherit heaven's graces". Of course, to return to my vernacular, that's not to say power lies in screwing suppliers/customers to the floor. But rather like picking the Top 10 Most Powerful People in our six lists, mercy can't be high on the agenda. It's a tough job, and all that. That 50% of the names on our list are new reflects the astonishing changes in the past year. Consider: a year ago, we were all obsessing about green initiatives, organic, fair trade, local. Today, these trends are not entirely forgotten (see p31), but with the credit crunch replacing 9/11 as the basis for just about every story in the paper right now, price has become the elephant in the room, squashing 'nice to have' concerns unceremoniously. Consider also the M&S share price, 12 months ago at a 10-year high. Today, profits are at a 10-year high, but as I write, the share price is below Sir Philip Green's indicative offer from three years ago. Robert Schofield's outfit has been similarly castrated by the City. Above all, consider the money men: eight of the 10 from last year's list of 'big swinging dicks' are out, replaced for the most part by a different breed. As Cadbury CEO Todd Stitzer will tell you (a new entrant on our supplier list), power is not about size any more, it's about being smart and innovative. As the Bard says... "Lilies that fester smell far worse than weeds."