The boyish face suggests a youngster fresh from college. But shake the hand of Joe Hogan, and his mature grip bears witness to all his 52 years, many of them spent at General Electric, the US conglomerate known as something of a talent pool for top managers.

It was at GE that Mr Hogan climbed the ladder, often just one rung behind Jeffrey Immelt, now chief executive and successor to the legendary Jack Welch. Last year, however, he switched from running GE's healthcare division to ABB, the Swiss-Swedish electrical engineering group.

For most, it was a surprise choice. Many observers were still struggling to understand why Fred Kindle, ABB's dry but highly competent incumbent, had been pushed out in the first place. Moreover, after Mr Kindle's surprise ousting in February 2008, the top job had been filled admirably on an interim basis by Michel Demaré, ABB's chief financial officer, who seemed a shoo-in given the group's team-based corporate culture.