Some 600 business people—about 60 percent Americans—are profiled in this four-volume set. The majority are white males who are chief executives of large publicly traded companies, but some profilees are from smaller companies or are up-and-coming executives; these groups include more women and minorities, and an effort has been made to include them. The articles, which run about three or four pages in length, were written by journalists, historians, librarians, and educators who drew from material supplied by the entrant's company, as well as archival research. The main narrative text comprising each profile is supplemented with a fact box (birth date, nationality, family, career, awards, publications, and address), a photo (when available), sources for further information, and cross references to company profiles in the International Directory of Company Histories. Indexing is by nationality, geographic location, company and industry, and name.