France Télécom has scooped the board at the third annual Financial News Awards for Corporate Excellence - Europe 2003, winning four of the accolades including business leader of the year for its top executive, Thierry Bréton.

The French telecoms company was voted corporate of the year on the basis of its remarkable transformation from the troubled, most debt-ladden corporate in the world to a profitable one. It was also an easy winner of the restructuring deal of the year, as well as coming up tops for the equity capital markets award.