Executive Chairman, Chorion (London)

Chorion is a huge digital content business which spans TV, books, games and the web, and whose catalogue includes Enid Blyton, Noddy, the Mr Men and the works of Agatha Christie.

It expanded further last year with the purchase of Copyrights Group, which owns the licensing rights to classic children's characters such as PaddingtonBear and The Snowman.

Close to the Murdochs (he is a shareholder in Elisabeth Murdoch's production company, Shine), Alli has been chairman of Chorion since 2003 and led a successful management buyout of the company backed by private equity firm 3i.

The Labour peer first came to prominence with Planet 24, the production company he founded with his partner, Charlie Parsons, and Bob Geldof. Its hits included Channel 4's Big Breakfast and one of the first global reality formats, Survivor. It was later sold to Carlton TV with Alli becoming its Head of Production.

Alli is also a director of Paul O'Grady's production company, Olga Television, and chairman of online retailer Asos.
Alli was once a candidate to be chief executive of Channel 4 and has been talked about as a possible future chairman of the BBC.