How do you inspire young Black men and women to pursue their dreams and career of their choice? You give them a list of the most powerful and influential Black people of African and African-Caribbean heritage in Britain and show them that it CAN be done. The Powerlist 2019 has been unveiled, and once again, it shines a spotlight on the top Black movers and shakers in the UK.
Now in its 12th year, the Powerlist honours men and women across a wide range of disciplines and industries, including sport, arts, science, business and much more. Aside from the expected big-name personalities on the list, such as Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, who makes the list for the first time this year, the list is a roll call of highly influential career giants who largely sit under the radar of mainstream media.
This year, Ric Lewis, Chief Executive and Chairman of Tristan Capital Partners, a veteran in the world of international real estate who oversees his firms’ portfolio of more than 10 billion Euro, knabbed the top spot.
Outside of work, Ric is a passionate advocate for removing the barriers to aspiration and achievement for children and young adults, in particular through his own charity the Black Heart Foundation www.blackheartfoundation.org. Each year, the Foundation provides educational scholarships to young people in need in the UK and abroad.
Speaking about topping the Powerlist 2019 Ric, said: “I am privileged to have been voted number one for 2019. Over the course of my career, I have been fortunate enough to accumulate the network and means, which allow me to give back. I hope to use this accolade to continue to advance the charitable causes I feel most passionate about, with the express aim of helping a greater number of children and young adults aspire to and achieve more. I have a deep belief that if kids are provided with inspiration, encouragement and the resources and pastoral care they need, great things can happen for them and for our community. It’s up to all of us to find our own ways to connect the dots and make this happen.”
Powerlist 2019 Publisher, Michael Eboda, agrees. He said: “Topping our Powerlist is never simply about how successful you are in what you do, just as importantly, it’s also about what you do for the good of society as a whole and Ric continues to excel on both fronts.
“We publish the list as a role model guide for young people. Everyone says there are no black role models, well here are 100.”
View the full Powerlist 100 below:
- Ric Lewis – Chief executive and chairman of Tristan Capital Partners
- Sharon White -Chief executive of Ofcom
- Ismail Ahmed – Founder and CEO of WorldRemit Ltd
- Jacky Wright – Chief digital and information officer at HMRC
- Sandie Okoro – Senior vice president and general counsel at World Bank Group
- Ebele Okobi – Facebook’s director of public policy for Africa
- Professor Funmi Olonisakin – Vice president and vice principal international at King’s College London
- Paulette Rowe – Global head of payments and financial services partnerships at Facebook
- Edward Enninful – Editor-in-chief of British Vogue
- Richard Iferenta – KPMG partner and head of challenger banking
And making up the rest of the Top 100:
Chi-Chi Nwanoku – Musician, professor and founder of Chineke! Orchestra
Chris Ofili – Artist
Dr Delia Jarrett Macauley – Writer, academic and chair of The Caine Prize
Duro Olowu – Fashion designer
Dr Shirley Thompson – Composer, artistic director and university reader in composition and performance
Isaac Julien – Artist and filmmaker
Lemn Sissay – Author and broadcaster
Lynette Yiadom-Boakye – Artist
Matthew Morgan – Co-founder of global festival Afropunk
Pat McGrath – Make-up artist, CEO and founder of Pat McGrath Labs
Valerie Brandes – Founder and CEO of Jacaranda Books
Yinka Shonibare – Artist
Alan Smith – Global head of risk strategy and senior executive officer of group risk at HSBC
Brian Robinson – Senior managing director at Goldman Sachs
Bukola Adisa – MD, head of RCSA design and execution, chief controls office at Barclays
Eric Collins – Operations head at Touch Surgery
Gary Stewart – Director of Telefonica Open Future, and Wayra UK
Heather Melville – Director of strategic partnerships and head of business inclusion initiatives for RBS
Netsai Mangwende – Head of finance for Great Britain at Willis Towers Watson
Pamela Hutchinson – Global head of diversity and inclusion at Bloomberg LP
Sandra Wallace – UK managing partner of DLA Piper UK
Tunji Akintokun – Director at Cisco leading mid-market sales and partnerships for Africa
Wol Kolade – Managing partner at Livingbridge
Yvonne Ike – Partner at Africapital Management Limited
Ade Adepitan – TV presenter and wheelchair basketball player
Afua Hirsch – Journalist, author, broadcaster
Akala – Rapper, poet and political activist
Anne Mensah – Head of drama at Sky
Amma Asante – BAFTA award winning writer and director
Charlene White – Journalist and news presenter
David Harewood – Actor
David Olusoga – Historian, filmmaker and joint creative director of Uplands Television Ltd
Dumi Oburota – Founder of Disturbing London
Femi Oguns – Founder of the Identity School of Acting and Identity Agency Group
Gary Younge – Journalist, author and broadcaster
Idris Elba – Actor, musician and producer
Jacqueline Simmons – Executive editor at Bloomberg LP
John Boyega – Actor and producer
Kanya King – Founder of MOBO Awards
Marcus Ryder – Chief editor international digital news at China Global Television Network
Mo Abudu – CEO and executive chair of Ebonylife TV
Naomie Harris – Actress
Paulette Simpson – Director of The Voice Newspaper and responsible for Corporate Affairs for The Jamaica National Group in the UK
Reggie Yates – Broadcaster, actor, radio DJ and television presenter
Reni Eddo-Lodge – Journalist and author
Simon Frederick – Photographer and director
Sir Lenny Henry – Comedian
Stormzy – Rapper
Thandie Newton – Actress
Tunde Ogungbesan – BBC head of diversity and inclusion
Vanessa Kingori – Publishing director of British Vogue
Wayne Hector – Songwriter
Yolisa Phahle – CEO of M-Net
Floella Benjamin – Actress and Baroness of Beckenham
Chuka Umunna – Labour Politician
Grace Ononiwu – Chief Crown Prosecutor at Crown Prosecution Service
Joshua Siaw – Partner at White & Case LLP
Kathryn Nwajiaku – Co-director at Development Results
Martin Forde QC – Barrister, appointed person to the Windrush compensation scheme
Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin – Priest at the Church of England
David Lammy – Labour MP for Tottenham
Beverley Lewis – Co-Founder and director of operations the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust
Dr Cheron Byfield – Trust Member and Governor at King Solomon International Business School
Dr Margaret Casely-Hayford – Lawyer, businesswoman, and chair of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre
Marvin Rees – Labour politician and Mayor of Bristol
Meghan Markle/Duchess of Sussex – Duchess of Sussex and actress
Nero Ughwujabo – Special Adviser to the Prime Minister
Nira Chamberlain – Vice President of the Institute of Mathematics
Orin Lewis – Co-founder and chief executive of the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust
Patricia Gallan – Retired Metropolitan Police assistant commissioner leading specialist crime and operations
Simon Woolley – Director and co-founder of Operation Black Vote
David Waboso – Managing director of Network Rail’s Digital Railway
Dr Emeka Okaro – Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at St Bartholomew’s and The Royal London NHS Hospitals
Dr Ian Nnatu – Consultant Psychiatrist at Charing Cross Hospital, London and Medical Director at Cygnet Hospital Harrow
Joy Odili – Consultant plastic surgeon at St George’s Healthcare NHS Trust
Dr Sylvia Bartley – PhD, Neurophysiology Global director of Medtronic Philanthropy
Samantha Tross – Consultant surgeon
Professor Laura Serrant – Professor of Nursing at Sheffield Hallam University
Anthony Joshua – Boxer
Denise Lewis – TV presenter and retired athlete
Dina Asher-Smith – British record-holding sprinter
Lewis Hamilton – Formula 1 driver
Luol Deng – Basketball player
Mo Farah – Athlete and Olympian
Oona King – Responsible for strategy around equity, diversity, inclusion & integrity for Google, and Baroness King of Bow
Ian Greenstreet – Board Advisory Group at London Stock Exchange and Chairman and founding partner of TouchFX
Janet Thomas – Founder and CEO of TouchFX at Infinity Capital Partners
Marieme Jamme – Member of the board of directors at World Wide Web Foundation
Martin Ijaha – Co-founder and chief executive officer of Neyber
Nneka Abulokwe – IT and Governance Advisor
