After Dinner Speakers: Gordon Ramsay, Wishbone Ash, Arno Penzias

Part restaurant empire-builder and part sublimely talented chef, Gordon Ramsay is a truly global star in the cooking world. It all could have been so different. As a teenager he was on the books of Glasgow Rangers FC, but injury put pay to his chances of a professional career. So, imbued with an ambition never to fail again, he switched his attention to cooking. After catering college this ambition took him to two of London's legendary restaurants - Marco Pierre White's Harvey's and Albert Roux's Le Gavroche - and then on to France to work under Joel Rubichon and Guy Savoy. A stint as the personal chef of an Australian TV chief was the prelude to his first big break, taking over as part-owner of the Aubergine in London. Within three years he had been awarded two Michelin stars. It wasn't to last. After a bust-up with the restaurant's backers Gordon left and took all his staff with him to his new venture in Chelsea, Gordon Ramsay, a huge critical success and London's only three-starred Michelin restaurant. He now has restaurants in the Connaught, Claridge's, Mayfair (Petrus), Glasgow (Amaryllis) and Dubai (Verre) and eyes on many more sites. All this might not have made him the celebrity he is, however, had it not been for his legendary temper which has made him a favourite with TV programme makers.