Born in Germany where his father was a cobbler, Theodore (usually known as Ted) Levitt (1925-2006) emigrated to the United States with his parents at the age of ten.

ECONOMIST: Guru

Together with Theodore (Ted) Levitt, Kotler was responsible for lifting marketing out of the disrepute in which it had once been held, changing it from being the slicker part of sales to being a recognised strategic function in its own right.

ECONOMIST: Guru