The 13th annual Powerlist was judged by a panel chaired by Dame Linda Dobbs and published in October 2019; sponsored by J.P. Morgan & Co., pwc, linklaters and The Executive Leadership Council.
Top 10
Outside Top 10
Also listed in the 2020 Powerlist were the following people, organised by industry:
Arts, Fashion and Design
Adwoa Aboah - fashion model and founder of Gurls Talk
Chi-chi Nwanoku, OBE - classical musician and founder of Chineke! Orchestra
Duro Olowu - fashion designer
Dr Shirley J Thompson, OBE - composer, conductor and Reader in Music, University of Westminster Isaac Julien, CBE - artist and filmmaker Lemn Sissay, OBE - poet, author, broadcaster Matthew Morgan - founder of Afropunk Festival Valerie Brandes - founder and CEO of Jacaranda Books
Business, Corporate, Financiers and Entrepreneurs
Alan Smith - Global Head of Risk Strategy and Chief of Staff, Global Risk at HSBC Arunma Oteh, OON - academic scholar, St Antony's College, Oxford, former Treasurer and Vice President of the World Bank Bukola Adisa - Head of Framework and Design at Barclays Camille Drummond - Vice President, Global Business Services at BP Eric Collins - CEO and Founding Member, Impact X Capital Partners Gary Stewart - Director, Telefonica Open Future & Wayra UK Jason Black (J2K) - co-founder of Crep Protect and co-owner of Crepe and Cones Lindelwe Lesley Ndlovu - CEO, AXA Africa Specialty Risks, Lloyd's of London Netsai Mangwende - Head of Finance for Great Britain, Willis Towers Watson Pamela Hutchinson - Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Bloomberg Patricia Lewis - Managing Director & Head of European Loans and Special Situations Sales, BofA Securities Sandra Wallace - UK Managing Partner, DLA Piper Dame Sharon White - chairman, John Lewis Partnership Tavaziva Madzinga - CEO, Swiss Re UK & Ireland Tevin Tobun - founder and CEO, GV Group Gate Ventures Wol Kolade - Managing Partner, Livingbridge Yvonne Ike - Managing Director and Head of Sub Saharan Africa region, BofA Securities
Media, Publishing and Entertainment
Ade Adepitan, MBE - TV presenter and Paralympic wheelchair basketball player
Afua Hirsch - journalist, author, broadcaster
Akala - rapper, journalist, poet and activist
Anne Mensah - Vice-president of Content UK, Netflix
Amma Asante, MBE - writer, director
Charlene White - ITN News anchor
David Olusoga, OBE - historian, Joint Creative Director of Uplands Television Ltd Femi Oguns, MBE - founder and CEO of Identity School of Acting Gary Younge - journalist and author Idris Elba, OBE - actor, writer, producer, musician and DJ John Boyega - Actor Kanya King, CBE -CEO/Founder, MOBO Awards Lorna Clarke - Head of Production, BBC Radio 2 & BBC Radio 6 Music Marcus Ryder - Chief International Editor of China Global Television Network Digital Mo Abudu - CEO/Executive Chair, EbonylifeTV Naomie Harris, OBE - actor Paulette Simpson - Executive, Corporate Affairs and Public Policy, Jamaica National Group; executive director, The Voice Media Group Reggie Yates - actor, broadcaster and DJ Reni Eddo-Lodge - journalist, author Simon Frederick - artist, photographer, director Sir Lenny Henry - actor, writer, campaigner Vanessa Kingori, MBE - publisher, British Vogue Yolisa Phahle - CEO, General Entertainment, Naspers Ltd
Politics, Law and Religion
Baroness Floella Benjamin DBE, DL - Peer, House of Lords, policy maker, campaigner for children's rights David Lammy, MP - Member of Parliament for Tottenham Dr Sandie Okoro - Senior Vice President and Group General Counsel, World Bank Grace Ononiwu, CBE - Chief Crown Prosecutor, West Midlands Joshua Siaw, MBE - Partner, White & Case Dr Kathryn Nwajiaku - Head of International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding Secretariat, OECD Martin Forde, QC - barrister Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin - Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons Segun Osuntokun - Managing Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner