A new report, published by Coutts & Co., predicts that 2008 will be the year that Britain's business leaders come under pressure to demonstrate their leadership credentials.

Face Value: Your Reputation as a Business Asset draws on the experiences and insights of some of Britain's top entrepreneurs, as well as leading names from the worlds of business, politics, the media and the law.

The report claims that solid results, while still crucial, are no longer enough to calm markets and that CEOs will become inexorably linked to the reputation of the business brands they lead.

Today's business leaders have become their companies' "communicator in chief," and their own personal reputation has become central in the making and breaking of the companies they run.

The report is authored by Michael Hayman, chief executive of The Communication Group, and includes a series of interviews with business leaders, research from YouGov, and the views of expert contributors.

Michael Hayman said: "In 2008 companies will have to work harder to stand out and people will count more in bringing a company story to life. Crucially, business leaders need to grasp the role before it grips them. Today, it's not only their decisions that are on the line but their personality, record of achievements and way of doing business. It all adds up to a very personal business brand."

Andrew Haigh, Entrepreneur Client Group Head at Coutts & Co, said: "We work with some of the UK's most successful entrepreneurs, and we are seeing a growing public interest in high-growth businesses and the personalities that lead them. As such, reputation and the protection of it is now not only the preserve of big corporates but also of individuals. It is now clear that reputation has a very tangible value for entrepreneurs."

For more information and to download a copy of the report, visit www.coutts.com/facevalue.