UK: The Davidson Interview - Roger Carr.

Williams' chief executive has a reputation in some quarters as a ruthless, cold automaton. But that doesn't do him justice, says Andrew Davidson. Even so, he must yearn for a bit of the press popularity enjoyed by his chairman, Sir Nigel Rudd.

Roger Carr, chief executive of Williams, is what you might call a very still interviewee. He places his hands on the table in front of him, one on top of the other, much as he does in his annual report photo, and barely shifts them. He sets his head slightly forward, staring at you through wide, round glasses which slightly shrink his dark eyes, and rarely moves it. His greying hair, parted on the right, is so well brushed that not a strand appears out of place. His answers, courteous, lengthy and meticulously worded, leave little room for prevarication. His tone, firm and evenly modulated, never wavers. If you were stuck in the middle of precarious negotiations with him, his whole demeanour would probably scare you half to death.