By Sohaib Shams
Ian Thomas, chief executive of the City of London Corporation, has been named the UK’s most influential Black person in the 2027 Powerlist ranking released on Saturday.
First Black leader of City’s governing body
Thomas, 57, serves as the 51st Town Clerk of London, becoming the first Black person to lead the City of London’s governing body in its more than 900-year history. The annual Powerlist, compiled by Powerful Media, identifies the UK’s most powerful people of African, African Caribbean and African American heritage.
Top 10 includes entrepreneurs and public figures
The 2027 top 10 also features International Crisis Group president Comfort Ero, Crown Prosecution Service director general Grace Ononiwu, Good American co-founder Emma Grede, Microsoft AI transformation officer Pamela Maynard, entrepreneur Steven Bartlett, White and Case partner Josh Siaw, actor and philanthropist Sir Idris Elba, Dr Martens chief executive Ije Nwokorie, and Ministry of Defence director Air Vice-Marshal Ola Fashade.
Awards recognise cultural contributions
The accompanying Celebration of Black Excellence Awards ceremony at Grosvenor House honoured actor Ashley Walters with a Paramount Entertainer Award and Sir Lenny Henry with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to British culture and charity work through Comic Relief.
Powerful Media chief executive Michael Eboda said the list aims to show young people of African and African-Caribbean heritage what is possible across fields from boardrooms to public office.
