Johnson & Johnson's (JNJ, Fortune 500) moves after the 1982 Tylenol poisoning disaster -- in which seven people died after ingesting capsules laced with cyanide -- remain the gold standard for regaining consumer trust. Not only did J&J put customers first by recalling 31 million Tylenol bottles and offering a free replacement to stores -- an expensive (the recall cost $100 million) and rare move back then, as recalls almost never happened. CEO James Burke took to the television airwaves repeatedly to guide consumers through the process. It was corporate crisis management at its best. Fix the problem. Allay customers' fears. And communicate throughout.
After Gates and Slim comes the secretive Amancio Ortega, who built the world's largest fashion empire, Zara.
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