Freddie Mac received $50.7 billion in government bailout funds

How much does the public value corporate leadership? Harris Interactive’s latest corporate reputation survey, which measures how Americans view some of the world’s largest companies, suggests that a firm’s brand is even more closely tied to its leadership than many would assume.

The companies with the top ratings, including Warren Buffett’s Berhshire Hathaway, Google and Intel, are all known as much for their products as their first-class management. Here’s Robert Fronk, senior vice President, global practice lead and reputation management at Harris:

“In last year’s study we saw companies that provided value and a sense of comfort getting strong overall reputation ratings. This year, we see overall corporate governance, performance and leadership driving positive reputation perceptions. Finding two holding companies, Berkshire Hathaway and SC Johnson, in the top five, is a visible reflection of this difference in focus.”

The worst ranked companies in the survey, however, tell an entirely different story. And, the results suggest, the American public is still quite angry about the cost of the taxpayer-provided bailouts doled out in the last few years. For nine big bailout recipients, that cost includes a spot in this list of the 10 most disliked companies in America.

10.  Delta Airlines