Aspiring chief executives and business founders should maintain a bias for action, invest in their personal network and commit to lifelong learning, say former BOSS Young Executives who went on to become the top dog.

A survey of past winners found that a quarter set up their own companies after winning the accolade, and a further 23 per cent now serve as a chief executive or managing director of somebody else’s company, including Kelly Bayer Rosmarin at Optus and Michael Rebelo at Publicis Groupe.