City of London Chief Tops List of Most Influential Black Britons

By the Editorial Team · Sunday, November 1, 2026

Ian Thomas, CEO of the City of London Corporation, has been named the most influential Black Briton in the 2027 Powerlist, marking him as the first Black person to serve as the City of London’s town clerk in over 900 years. His leadership represents a historic breakthrough in Black representation within British institutional governance and highlights growing diversity among influential figures across various sectors.

Ian Thomas, chief executive of the City of London Corporation, has been named the most influential Black Briton in the 2027 Powerlist, an annual ranking that recognizes the UK’s most powerful individuals of African, African Caribbean, and African American heritage. The list was announced at the Celebration of Black Excellence Awards held at Grosvenor House in London on Friday evening, hosted by The Apprentice star Tim Campbell.

At 57 years old, Thomas made history as the first Black person to serve as the City of London’s town clerk, a role he assumed as the 51st official in the position’s more than 900-year history. His leadership of the City of London Corporation, the municipal governing body overseeing the financial district, marks a significant milestone in the representation of Black professionals in British institutional leadership.

The top 10 of the 2027 Powerlist also includes prominent figures from a range of sectors. Among them are entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den investor Steven Bartlett and actor, filmmaker, and philanthropist Sir Idris Elba, who serves as chair of IE7 and the Akuna Group. Other notable individuals include Comfort Ero, president and CEO of the International Crisis Group; Professor Grace Ononiwu CBE, director general of legal delivery at the Crown Prosecution Service; Emma Grede, chief executive and co-founder of Good American and founding partner of Skims; and Pamela Maynard, chief AI transformation officer at Microsoft MCAPS.

Continuing the diversity of leadership recognized, the list features Josh Siaw MBE, partner at White and Case; Ije Nwokorie, chief executive of Dr Martens; and Air Vice-Marshal Ola Fashade, director of strategy and military digitalisation within Defence Digital at the UK Ministry of Defence.

The awards ceremony also highlighted achievements in the arts and culture sector. Ashley Walters, known for his roles in the Netflix series “Adolescence” and Channel 4’s “Top Boy,” was honored with the Paramount Entertainer Award. Meanwhile, Sir Lenny Henry received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his extensive contributions to British culture and society. Henry, who co-founded the charity Comic Relief, which has raised over £1 billion, also established the Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity and runs Esmerelda Productions, aimed at promoting underrepresented voices.

Michael Eboda, chief executive of Powerful Media, which produces the Powerlist, emphasized the ongoing mission behind the publication. He stated that the Powerlist seeks to inspire young people of African and African Caribbean heritage by showcasing a wide array of career paths and achievements, encouraging them to pursue fields they might not have previously considered achievable.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.