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Ian Guider: Every strong company should be bigger than its boss

Even firms such as Ryanair, whose founder is a household name, should have worthy successors waiting in the wings

Michael O’Leary, chief executive, Ryanair Group: signed a new four-year contract to remain in charge until the summer of 2028. Picture: Getty

Several years ago, Richie Boucher, the then chief executive of Bank of Ireland, sat down for a lengthy interview with this newspaper. Boucher had been synonymous with Bank of Ireland throughout the financial crisis and beyond. He was, to some, part of the problem; to many others he was the saviour of the bank, the man who rescued it from disaster.

His name was known when so many other bankers were faceless. I put it ...