By Karim Hammam
The chief executive of the City of London Corporation, Ian Thomas, has been named the UK’s most influential black person in the 2027 Powerlist, published by Powerful Media on Saturday following the Celebration of Black Excellence Awards at Grosvenor House in London.
First black leader of City of London Corporation
Thomas, 57, serves as the 51st Town Clerk of London and is the first black person to lead the City of London’s governing body in its more than 900-year history. The Powerlist identifies the UK’s most powerful people of African, African Caribbean, and African American heritage.
Other notable honorees
Actor Ashley Walters received a Paramount Entertainer Award, while Sir Lenny Henry was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to British culture and charity work through Comic Relief. Entrepreneur Steven Bartlett and actor Sir Idris Elba also feature in the top 10.
Michael Eboda, chief executive of Powerful Media, said the Powerlist aims to show young people of African and African-Caribbean heritage what is possible across various fields.
Powerlist 2027 top 10
The full top 10 includes: 1. Ian Thomas CBE – Town Clerk & chief executive of the City of London Corporation; 2. Comfort Ero – president and CEO of the International Crisis Group; 3. Professor Grace Ononiwu CBE – director general of legal delivery, Crown Prosecution Service; 4. Emma Grede – chief executive and co-founder, Good American; 5. Pamela Maynard – chief AI transformation officer at Microsoft MCAPS; 6. Steven Bartlett – entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den panellist; 7. Josh Siaw MBE – partner at White and Case; 8. Sir Idris Elba – actor, filmmaker, philanthropist; 9. Ije Nwokorie – chief executive, Dr Martens; 10. Air Vice-Marshal Ola Fashade – director of strategy and military digitalisation at the UK Ministry of Defence.
