In the past week, two multinational conglomerates with very different business models have been faced with leadership questions.

Warren Buffet, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, is one of the richest people in the world. His portfolio is probably watched, followed and thus influences millions around the globe, and I declare that this includes my wife.

Given this background and given the fact that modest Mr B is the wrong side of 80 years old, you would have expected him to slow down. But no. After a rumoured two months of haggling, the octogenarian has put together a successful US$23 billion bid to take over Heinz Food. Analysts say this is a vote of confidence in the company, which is expected to bring in more bucks for Berkshire Hathaway shareholders.

For all the large numbers, in the background there was another question. When will Buffet quit? In an interview he stated that for him age is not a factor. He still finds a way to get the most out of people and how to allocate capital. Fair enough. And he added: “If I die tonight, there will be a CEO waiting to replace me. The Board knows who it is.”

Sounds reassuring, as if there is a good contingency plan in place. However, you have to wonder. Why does nobody want to share that info with the rest of us? Why the secrecy?

Thousands of miles away from corporate America lies the heart of business that has been going for over 1,500 years; the Papacy. Pope Benedict XVI has declared that at the age of 85 he no longer has the strength to cope with the rigorous demands of the job. Clearly this is of major concern to the world’s billion strong Catholic community. However, the events in Rome have a far greater effect. After all, the announcement produced 1.5m tweets within 36 hours.

I wonder if popes are more concerned about the theological or financial state of their community. Sky TV has noted that the Vatican Bank has assets of over US$4 billion. I wonder what is the insurance bill for all the art contained in the Bishopric of Rome?

That said and I am not a Catholic, I give the man great credit for quitting at the top. The thrill of the challenge of the job would excite anybody with some breath in their body. As instability and surprise are an anathema to such an organisation, there must have been severe pressures to stay on.

And yet, the Pope was able to find a way to look at the wider community involved. He was not prepared to endanger what he had achieved. It is time to move over for a younger candidate. Assuming those were his motives, I find that commendable.

As for Buffet groupies, your cash is safe for now, but how long can you risk defying the inevitable?