It is an unusual role model. Andrew Formica, chief executive of fund manager Henderson Global Investors, would like his firm to be like Dyson, the maker of bagless vacuum cleaners and the ubiquitous hand-dryers found in public toilets.

He explains that Dyson is a trusted brand that makes a small number of well-designed, distinctive products. "They've been able to extend from vacuum cleaners into fans and dryers. They don't do everything but what they do, they do well," he said. "That's what I want to get with Henderson."