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Lydia Veljanovski

The Powerlist 2023: John Lewis boss is top Black role model in UK - see Top 100

John Lewis Partnership chair Dame Sharon White has been named Britain’s most influential Black person in The Powerlist 2023.

The annual chart of the UK’s influential people of African, African Caribbean and African American heritage was created in 2007 to honour role models.

Dame Sharon said: “My hope is we can take the serendipity out of social mobility – everyone should have the chance to be who they want to be in life.”

Powerlistees celebrated in an event at the Savoy hotel in London.

1. Dame Sharon White

Chair, John Lewis Partnership

Dame Sharon was born in East London to Jamaican parents and attended Cambridge University to study economics before embarking on a dazzling career in the civil service.

While working at the Ministry of Justice with secretary of state Kenneth Clarke, he said: “She is one of the most intelligent people and best civil servants I have ever worked with, a real high-flyer.”

In 2013, she was appointed Second Permanent Secretary at the Treasury, making her one of the most powerful women in Westminster. She was the first Black person and the second-ever woman to hold the role.

Before joining John Lewis, she was previously chief executive at Ofcom, where from 2015 she managed the UK communications regulator through a period of similarly intense change.

In 2020, she became chair of John Lewis, guiding the firm through the pandemic and now the cost-of-living crisis.

With her innovative strategies, the firm has seen pre-tax profits grow by more than a third year on year. Now 55, she was awarded a Damehood in the 2020 New Year’s Honours, for public service.

2. Dean Forbes

CEO, Forterro

Dean, 44, has spent his career turning ailing tech firms into success stories.

He is currently at the helm of software company Forterro, which he joined in March, and has also been recognised for his philanthropic work via his foundation, Forbes Family Group (FFG).

This invests and supports young people from underrepresented backgrounds to thrive in the business world, especially ramping up efforts during the pandemic. Dean said: “I don’t feel what I do is extraordinary, to me it’s normal.”

2. Anne Mensah

Vice-President of Content UK, Netflix

Anne, from South London, who has climbed to be Vice President of Content UK at Netflix.

The former BBC executive has a knack of choosing on-screen winners having overseen work on some of the biggest shows in history, including Sex Education and The Crown, as well as One Day, based on David Nicholls’ bestselling novel.

Prior to running the streaming giant she was Head of Independent Drama at the BBC and Director of Drama at Sky UK, where she commissioned dramas such as Patrick Melrose, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, and Chernobyl

4. Tunde Olanrewaju

Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company

Tunde is the managing partner for management consultant McKinsey’s UK, Ireland and Israel offices.

He leads in fintech work and helped create McKinsey Digital.

Tunde, a trustee for Oxfam, holds a a masters in electrical and electronic engineering from Imperial College, London. He is also is a leader of the McKinsey Black Network — a global community to help colleagues grow.

5. Steven Bartlett

Botswana-born, Plymouth-bred entrepreneur Steven went on to become the youngest Dragon’s Den investor (BBC)

Entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den Dragon

University dropout Steven, 30, cashed in on the influencer boom by founding social media marketing company Social Chain in 2014.

The Botswana-born, Plymouth-bred entrepreneur went on to become the youngest Dragon’s Den investor, holding his own alongside heavy-weights Deborah Meaden and Peter Jones. He also has a successful podcast, Diary of a CEO.

6. David Olusoga

Historian David Olusoga was born in Nigeria but moved to Gateshead, Tyne and Wear when he was just five (Getty Images for BFI)

Historian, Joint Creative Director of Uplands Television Ltd

Historian David Olusoga was born in Nigeria but moved to Gateshead, Tyne and Wear when he was just five. He grew up as one of the few non-white people on a council estate, and by 14 the National Front had attacked his house repeatedly, meaning his family had to have police protection.

David, who is Professor of Public History at Manchester University, has gone on to become an award-winning winning documentary maker and writer covering topics of military history, empire, race, and slavery.

His BBC programme Britain’s ‘Forgotten Slave Owners’ won him a BAFTA, and he was awarded a President’s Medal from the British Academy, as well as interviewing former President of the United States, Barack Obama.

7. Lord Simon Woolley

Political and equalities activist Lord Simon Woolley (Getty Images)

Co-Founder/Director, Operation Black Vote & Principal, Homerton College, Cambridge University

The 60-year-old went from a Leicester council estate to the House of Lords. Baron Woolley of Woodford is also pals with King Charles.

Last year he became the first Black man to be master of a Cambridge college, saying: “It’s a great day. It’s historic. I’m on cloud nine.”

8. Paulette Simpson CBE

Executive, Corporate Affairs and Public Policy, Jamaica National Bank; Executive Director, The Voice.

Paulette was born in Britain but raised between Jamaica and Manchester by her grandmother before studying business at the University of Sterling.

She was awarded a CBE in 2020 – and she is deputy chair of both the Windrush Advisory Panel and the Windrush Commemoration Committee.

9. Richard Iferenta

Partner, Vice Chair, KPMG

One of the UK’s foremost financial experts at the global professional services network. This year he joined the board of business campaign group London First.

Richard is also a strong champion for mentoring and coaching young black people; he is chair of the Race Diversity Board for Business in the Community and partner sponsor for the Afro-Caribbean Network.

10. Dr Sandie Okoro

Group General Counsel, Standard Chartered Bank

The lawyer passed the bar in 1988 after stint at University of Birmingham. Retrained as a solicitor which lead to roles such as senior VP of World Bank Group and her current job.

Sandie is a governor of the Royal Shakespeare Company and was a council member of the human rights organisation JUSTICE.

11-100

The list below is not ranked:

Arts, Fashion and Design

Chi-chi Nwanoku OBE - Founder, Chineke! Foundation

Duro Olowu - Fashion Designer

Professor Dr Shirley Thompson OBE - Composer, Conductor & Reader in Music, University of Westminster

Dame Pat McGrath DBE - Make-up artist/Founder, Pat McGrath Labs

Lynette Yiadom - BoakyeArtist

Sir Frank Bowling - Artist

Grace Wales-Bonner - Fashion Designer

Precious Adams (New) - Soloist, English National Ballet

Sonia Boyce (New) - Artist, Professor of Black Art & Design, University of the Arts, London

Lubaina Himid CBE (New) - Professor of Contemporary Art, University of Central Lancashire

Misan Harriman (New) - Chair of The Southbank Centre, London; Photographer

Brenda Emmanus, OBE (New) - Broadcaster and Journalist

Business, Corporate, Financiers & Entrepreneurs

Camille Drummond - Senior Vice President, Global Business Services, BP

Eric Collins - CEO and Founder, Impact X Capital, Host of The Money Maker, Author, We Don’t Need Permission

Pamela Hutchinson OBE - Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Bloomberg

Netsai Mangwende - Chief Financial Officer, GroupM UK

Tevin Tobun - CEO, GV Group (Gate Ventures)

Paulette Rowe - CEO, Integrated and eCommerce Solutions, Paysafe

Roni Savage - CEO and Founder, Jomas Associates

Femi Bamisaiye - CIO, UK General Insurance, Aviva

Yemi Edun - Founder and CEO, Daniel Ford & Co & Daniel Ford International

Donya Rose - Managing Director, Capital Release Unit, Deutsche Bank

John McCalla-Leacy - Partner and Head of ESG at KPMG UK

Emeka Emembolu - Chief of Staff, BP

Nathalie Villette - UK Country Head & Group Head Global Corporates, Ecobank

Ayana McIntosh-Lee (New) - Senior Vice President, Global Head of External Affairs, BP

Teddy Nyahasha (New) - CEO, OneFamily

Syreeta Brown (New) - Virgin Money

Ola Fadipe (New) - Director, EMEA, Head of Recruiting

Merary Soto-Saunders (New) - Head of HR, CVC Credit Partners

Afua Kyei (New) - Chief Financial Officer, Bank of England

Tangy Morgan (New) - Senior Advisor, Bank of England

Media, Publishing, Entertainment & Sports

Akala - Educator, Rapper, Poet, Activist

Edward Enninful OBE - Editor-in-Chief, British Vogue and European Editorial Director of Vogue

Amma Asante, MBE - Writer, Director

Charlene White - ITN News Anchor and Loose Women Presenter

Lorna Clarke - BBC Controller of Pop Music

Marcus Ryder MBE - Head of External Consultancies, Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity

Reggie Yates - Writer, Director, Broadcaster

Sir Lenny Henry - Actor, Writer, Campaigner

Vanessa Kingori MBE - Chief Business Officer, Condé Nast Britain; Vogue European Business Advisor

Bernardine Evaristo - Writer, Professor of Creative Writing, Brunel

Idris Elba OBE - Actor, Producer, co-founder of S’able Labs

Afua Hirsch - Journalist, Author, Broadcaster

Stormzy - Grime Artist and Philanthropist

Alex Scott MBE - Former England Footballer, TV Presenter

Michaela Coel - Writer and Actor

Daniel Kaluuya - Actor

Emma Paterson (New) - Literary Agent

Austin Daboh (New) - Executive Vice President UK, Atlantic Records

Riki Bleau (New) - Founder & Co-President, Since ’93

Raheem Sterling - Footballer

Maro Itoje - Rugby Player, Activist

Marcus Rashford - Footballer and Campaigner

Politics, Law and Religion

David Lammy MP - Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, MP for Tottenham

Joshua Siaw MBE - Partner, White & Case

Tom Shropshire - General Counsel & Company Secretary, Diaego

The Rt. Revd. Rose Hudson-Wilkin CD MBE - The Bishop of Dover in the Diocese of Canterbury

Segun Osuntokun - Managing Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner

Harry Matovu QC - Barrister

Marcia Willis Stewart QC (Hon) - Partner, Birnberg Peirce & Partners

I. Stephanie Boyce LLM, DipICArb, FCG, Honorary Professor of Law - The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London

Professor Patrick Vernon OBE - Political Activist and Social Commentator

Sandra Wallace CBE - Partner & Joint Managing Director, UK and Europe, DLA Piper

Jacqueline McKenzie - Specialist Windrush Solicitor; Partner, Leigh Day

Public, Third Sector and Education

Marvin Rees - Mayor of Bristol

Sonita Alleyne OBE - Master, Jesus College, Cambridge

Professor Patricia Daley - Human Geographer and Academic

Dr Patrick Roach - General Secretary, NASUWT

Miatta Fahnbulleh - Chief Executive, New Economics Foundation

Munroe BergdorfModel and Activist

Professor Patricia Kingori (New) - Professor and Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator at University of Oxford

Eva Omaghomi (New) - Global Strategic and Communications Advisor, Speaker

Science, Medicine and Engineering

Dr Emeka Okaro - Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist

Dr Ian Nnatu - Consultant Psychiatrist

Dr Joy Odili - Consultant Plastic Surgeon

Dr Sylvia Bartley - Health Equity Thought Leader & Consultant

Samantha Tross - Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

Professor Jacqueline Dunkley Bent OBE - Chief Midwifery Officer, NHS England

Martin Griffiths - Consultant Trauma and Vascular Surgeon, Barts NHS Health Trust & National Clinical Director for Violence Reduction, NHS

Dr Paula Franklin - Chief Medical Officer, Bupa Global & UK

Dr Jacqui Dyer - President, Mental Health Foundation & Deputy Leader, Lambeth Council

Professor Kevin Fenton - Regional Director for London, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities at the Department of Health and Social Care, President, UK Faculty of Public Health, Chief Advisor to the Government on HIV

Technology

Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE - CEO & Co-Founder, STEMettes

Ije Nwokorie - Senior Director, Apple

Nneka Abulokwe OBE - Founder and CEO, MicroMax Consulting

Rob Pierre - CEO, Jellyfish

Alex Okosi - Managing Director, YouTube Europe, Middle East & African Emerging Markets

Simon Hepburn (New) - CEO, UK Cyber Security Council

Dr Claudia Natanson MBE (New) - Chair, UK Cyber Security Council

Linda Morant (New) - Chief Digital Officer, The Crown Estate

- The Powerlist was launched in 2007 to showcase black role models to young people. It is now regarded as the leading authority on issues of black influence. Now in its 15th year, The Powerlist, in partnership with J.P.Morgan, honours incredible men and women across a wide range of industries including business, science, technology and the arts.

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