Factbox: What business thinks about Britain's EU referendum

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain votes on June 23 on whether to remain a member of the European Union. Following are the views of some business leaders: AIRLINES Chief executive of airline easyJet Carolyn McCall: "We will do everything we can to make sure that consumers understand that they are far better off within the EU when it comes to connectivity and low fares." "We think it would be very difficult for our government to negotiate with 27 other member states to get the flying rights that we have today within the EU." Norwegian Air Shuttle Chief Executive Bjorn Kjos: "My view is that the UK is better staying in the EU. I believe that the EU brings many advantages to passengers throughout Europe: freedom of movement, lower fares and strong consumer rights. If the UK does exit the EU, London and the UK will always be one of the world's most popular leisure destinations, regardless of its standing in the European community – for that reason we will continue to create new routes, new aircraft and new jobs here in the UK." Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary: "We're very actively supporting the campaign to keep the UK in the European Union. There's absolutely no doubt that the UK economy is better off in Europe than outside of Europe." AUTOMOTIVE Ian Robertson, BMW Director for Sales and Marketing: "The UK has the most diverse car industry in Europe and is the fourth-largest market of BMW Group worldwide. From an industry perspective we would therefore regret seeing the UK leave the EU." Chief Executive of carmaker Opel, which owns the Vauxhall brand, Karl-Thomas Neumann: "We have plants in Luton and Ellesmere port. We will not turn our back on England. If Britons voted to leave the EU, life would carry on. We would continue to find ways to invest." CEO of Volkswagen-owned British brand Bentley Wolfgang Duerheimer: "Volkswagen Group has 110 locations around the world where they produce cars. That means they are not in any case reliant on the UK so if the situation changes dramatically, future decisions need to be considered among the circumstances you face." BANKING AND FINANCE Colm Kelleher, President of Morgan Stanley: "If Britain were to leave Europe you would see a significant backlash against London as a financial center." Citi's UK head James Bardrick on what could happen post-Brexit: "We would have to operationally change the business and reallocate certain businesses back into the EU. That's not technically impossible ... but enormously costly and enormously inefficient ... and will mean the scale of our activities here will reduce." Mark Boleat, Chairman of Policy and Resources Committee at the City of London Corporation: "If the UK votes to leave the EU, there would be serious consequences for the City of London's role as an international financial center. We would see UK-based financial institutions lose access to the single market and some would consider relocating elsewhere in the EU – not overnight but over time." HSBC'S Chairman Douglas Flint: "Our own economic research is very clear about the advantages of Britain being at the heart of a reformed EU. We believe that the UK would enter a period of great economic uncertainty in the event of a vote to leave." Santander Chief Executive Jose Antonio Alvarez: "In the long term, Britain's exit would be bad for the British economy and for the euro zone." He added that the bank's contingency plan did not involve transferring employees abroad. Standard Life Investments Chief Executive Keith Skeoch: "This would be a shock that would register about 15 on the Richter scale," he said, referring to the possibility that Britons might vote to leave the EU. You want to make sure the rights you have today will persist for the next 20-30 years." (NB - the highest Richter scale earthquake ever recorded was 9.5) ENERGY, OIL AND GAS Chief Executive of oil giant Royal Dutch Shell Ben van Beurden was quoted as saying by The Sunday Times newspaper: "We are a company with a strong heritage in the UK and on the Continent. There would be a real break between the two, which would affect freedom of movement of staff, trade — we would be impacted. "There will be a path of divergence, and that will have all sorts of inefficiencies. That's not good for companies like ours that thrive by there being no barriers. That is a fundamental economic aspect of it." Chief Executive of BP Bob Dudley told the BBC: "Being outside the EU would be worse for the country as many of the rules would still apply and Britain would be in danger of losing influence on the world stage. "There are lots of technical tax reasons, trade flows, regulation, that would make it better for our business and the energy business in general, the oil and gas business, (if Britain) were a part of Europe." National Grid Chief Executive Steve Holliday: "We cannot afford to lose the access to (European) energy supplies and interconnection, whatever the framework is eventually. Being part of the European energy market is unquestionably essential for the UK." HOUSEBUILDERS AND ESTATE AGENTS Managing Director of London-focused housebuilder Berkeley on what could happen if Britain leaves: "My concern would be around inward investment into London and it would slow down the growth of jobs and its influence." "If it retained less influence and less jobs, it will grow less quickly so it would actually need less homes built." Head of Commercial Research at real estate group Savills Mat Oakley: "The biggest risk to the commercial markets is that pre-vote period. Is it going to be three months, six months, nine months of speculation and the market may just go slightly quieter. "We have spoken to a number of people who've said we'll seriously consider moving our headquarters functions ... and our growth over the medium term to long term may well be more skewed to the EU ... if the UK were to leave." INDUSTRIALS JCB Chief Executive Graeme MacDonald: "I really don't think it would make a blind bit of difference to trade with Europe. There has been far too much scaremongering about things like jobs. I don't think it's in anyone's interest to stop trade. I don't think we or Brussels will put up trade barriers. "What is needed is a lot less red tape and bureaucracy. Some of it is costly for us and quite frankly ridiculous. Whether that means renegotiating or exiting, I don't think it can carry on as it is. It's a burden on our business and it's easier selling to North America than to Europe sometimes." PHARMACEUTICALS Andrew Witty, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline: "From a purely business, economic perspective, my view very strongly is we are much better off inside the European Union than outside of it," he said. "It's very unclear to me what exactly the rule set would be on the outside. I think it runs the risk of creating long periods of uncertainty with no obvious route to a simpler world than the one in which we operate." RECRUITMENT Steve Ingham, chief executive of one of Europe's largest recruitment firms Michael Page, told Reuters: "I am concerned about the disruption, because it causes uncertainty and uncertainty means that people are unprepared to make decisions. It's not good for a candidate thinking about moving job, and it's not good for a client and that's more a concern." RETAIL AND LEISURE Chief executive of fashion retailer Next Simon Wolfson: "My view is that if we have Brexit then what will make a difference isn't so much the fact of coming out of Europe but whether the policies pursued by the government post Brexit are ... free trade, open, positive, embracing a global trade view or a protectionist one. I haven't made my mind up yet. I'm going to wait and see what deal the Prime Minister is able to secure. That matters." Nick Varney, Chief Executive of Legoland-operator Merlin Entertainments: "In our case we don't think it will make any difference as to whether we're in or we're out of the EU." Primark-owner AB Foods Chief Executive George Weston: "The important point... is that Brexit isn't a major threat to us one way or the other... We've had a good look at the potential impact of either Brexit or not Brexit on AB Foods and it's not very big." Chairman of pubs group JD Wetherspoon Tim Martin backs the campaign for Britain to leave the EU. While he supports the principle of free movement of people and trade in Europe, he believes political decisions should not be made by an "unaccountable body". He has said it does not make sense for decisions on sensitive issues, such as migration, to be "decided by faceless bureaucrats in Brussels" rather than national parliaments. TRAVEL Chief Executive of London-listed, Germany-headquartered tour operator TUI Group Fritz Joussen: "I would like to see the UK remaining a member of the European Union. The tourism industry in the UK and millions of British holiday makers also strongly benefit from the common European market and the UK being part of it. "It is too early at this point in time to draw any conclusions or to consider concrete actions. There are currently no tactical or strategic considerations at TUI Group as a result of the debate about a possible 'Brexit.'" (Reporting By UK bureau and EMEA corporate finance team; compiled by Costas Pitas and Sarah Young)