The Sunday Times Top 100 Companies awards dinner, in association with Johnnie Walker, will take place in Johannesburg on October 27. The country's leading barometer of corporate performance rewards the companies that have brought investors the highest returns over a five-year rolling period, and the business leaders who hold the reins of capital in a particularly tough global operating environment.At last year's gala dinner, outgoing Sanlam CEO Dr Johan van Zyl picked up the business leader of the year award, and FirstRand co-founder Laurie Dippenaar the lifetime achievement award.A special award commemorating 20 years of democracy was presented to Trevor Manuel, and Telkom picked up the corporate social investment award for its Bandwidth Barn business incubation initiative in the Western Cape.Coronation Fund Managers sat atop the 2014 Top 100 Companies rankings for the second year in a row, followed by EOH in second place and Metair Investments rounding out the top three.The Top 100 Companies awards acknowledge listed companies that have earned the most for their shareholders.The share price performance of every company listed on the JSE is calculated on the basis of R10,000 invested over five years, and the winner is the company that earns the most for its shareholders, after taking into account normal and special dividends and bonus shares reinvested.This year, the lifetime achievement award will be presented to consumer retail magnate Dr Christo Wiese.Wiese, who was inducted into the World Retail Congress's Hall of Fame last month, is best known for his role in taking the Pepkor family clothing retail business from upstart to heavyweight, as well as steering Shoprite into Africa with CEO Whitey Basson.He joins Dippenaar and previous winners such as Cyril Ramaphosa, Nelson Mandela, Bobby Godsell, Allan Gray, Richard Maponya, Koos Bekker, Anton Rupert and Raymond Ackerman.Wiese, who has a reputation as an astute dealmaker, also plays a guiding role in local holding company Brait, which recently picked up the Virgin Active brand in a high-profile acquisition.The coveted award for business leader of the year, which will be announced on the night, is voted for by the CEOs of the previous year's Top 100 Companies.Previous winners, along with Van Zyl, include Brian Joffe, Phuthuma Nhleko, Graham Mackay, Maria Ramos, Adrian Gore and Whitey Basson...