Microsoft tech pioneer Jacky Wright tops list of most powerful black Britons

Footballer Marcus Rashford and Oscar-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya also feature but Wright tells The Voice she hopes the award will help further encourage debate on equality and diversity

Portrait of Jacky Wright VP Microsoft

TECH INDUSTRY pioneer Jacky Wright has been named the UK’s most influential black person by The Powerlist 2022 – the annual list of the UK’s most powerful people of African, African Caribbean and African American heritage.

Wright, Chief Digital Officer and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft US, is widely regarded across the world. as one of the most influential black women in the tech industry.

Born in north London, but now resident in the United States, she has been vocal about the need for the tech industry to address its lack of diversity and has been the driving force behind a number of innovative programmes to achieve this goal.

Before working at Microsoft Wright held high profile roles at BP, General Electric and Andersen Consulting. In 2017 she was chosen to be Chief Digital Information Officer at HM Revenue and Customs. She spent two years in the position on secondment. She returned to the software giant in 2019.

Speaking about how she felt to top this year’s Powerlist she told The Voice: “ It feels surreal. I’m one of those people who likes to do what they do,  but do it quietly. I’m all about change. I’ve been doing it my entire career and I’ve focused on how we make this world a better place.”

However she said she hoped that the award would further encourage a debate which began last year in the midst of the Black Lives Matter protests about making the tech industry more diverse.

Bold action

“I think we’re starting to see companies take bold action” she said. “The question is, will it be enduring? Or will it fall off? I think we are at this point where we have to maintain vigilance in terms of holding companies accountable. Because if we don’t the next big thing will come up, and we would have forgotten what we were pledging to do.”

While acknowledging that she is seen as a role model for many people from diverse backgrounds wanting to get into the tech industry, Wright also paid tribute to her family who says played a key role in her success.

“I grew up in a family where education was non-negotiable. You knew you were going to university, there were no if or buts about it” she recalls.

“But I also came from a family that always spoke about their culture and where they came from. My dad and my mum came from Jamaica. My dad always also spoke about Africa,  whether it be South Africa, whether it be the Congo, or East Africa. Learning  this history, played a key role in my psyche, in terms of knowing who I am, where I come from and having the confidence that I could achieve anything.

PRAISE: Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford who came second in this year’s Powerlist

Also in the Powerlist Top 10 is Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford who came second.

In 2019, Rashford set up the In the Box campaign with Selfridges  to give homeless people essential items over the Christmas period. Last year he received widespread praise after he wrote an open letter to the UK government calling on them to end child poverty in the UK.

The day after the letter was published the government announced a change in policy regarding the extension of free school meals for children during the summer holidays.

Anne Mensah, vice-president of Content UK at Netflix, was third while Oscar-winning actor Daniel Kaluuya, a new entrant to the list, was named in fourth place.

Steven Bartlett, 29, founder and former CEO of Social Chain and the newly named youngest ever panellist on the BBC show Dragons’ Den, is another new entrant. He is joined by the model and social activist Munroe Bergdorf and Rob Pierre, CEO of the digital marketing consultancy Jellyfish.

Oscar winning actor Daniel Kaluuya placed fourth (Photo by Stuart Wilson/Getty Images)

Other well known names on the list are Michaela Coel, Sir Lenny Henry and John Lewis’ Dame Sharon White.

‘Amazing individuals’

Michael Eboda, CEO of Powerful Media, said: The Powerlist continues to be a great showcase, acknowledgement and reminder of the amazing individuals of African, African Caribbean and African American heritage we have in the UK and I would like to congratulate each and everyone on the list.

“Jacky Wright is a true professional who is totally well deserved of being recognised as the UK’s most powerful black Briton on the Powerlist 2022. She is a shining example of professional excellence and this is evident through the roles she has been appointed to throughout her illustrious career. She is a role model to many and I applaud the great work she is doing at Microsoft US.”

2022 Powerlistees

The full listing of the Powerlist 2022 is:

Top 10 (ranked)

  1. Jacky Wright, Chief Digital Officer (CDO), Microsoft US
  2. Marcus Rashford, Footballer and campaigner
  3. Anne Mensah, Vice-president of Content UK, Netflix
  4. Daniel Kaluuya (New), Actor       
  5. Professor Kevin Fenton, London Regional Director, Public Health England
  6. Steven Bartlett (New), Founder and former CEO, Social Chain, Dragon’s Den Dragon
  7. Michaela Coel, Actor
  8. Lord Simon Woolley, Principal, Homerton College, Cambridge University & Co-founder/Director, Operation Black Vote
  9. Richard Iferenta, Partner, KPMG
  10. Jacqueline McKenzie, Partner, Leigh Day Solicitors

The list below is not ranked:

Arts, Fashion and Design                            

  • Chi-chi Nwanoku, OBE, Founder, Chineke! Foundation
  • Duro Olowu, Fashion Designer
  • Dr Shirley J Thompson, OBE, Composer, Conductor & Reader in Music, University of Westminster
  • Dame Pat McGrath, DBE, Founder, Pat McGrath Labs, Make-up artist
  • Lynette Yiadom- Boakye, Artist
  • Francesca Hayward, Principal Dancer, Royal Ballet
  • Grace Wales-Bonner, Fashion Designer
  • Sir Frank Bowling (New), Artist                   

Business, Corporate, Financiers & Entrepreneurs                      

  • Alan Smith, Global Head of Risk Strategy and Chief of Staff, Global Risk, HSBC
  • Camille Drummond, Senior Vice President Global Business Services, BP
  • Eric Collins, Founding Member, Impact X Capital Partners and host of The Money Maker on Channel 4
  • Jason Black , Co-founder of Crep Protect and Co-Owner of Crepe and Cones
  • Pamela Hutchinson, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, Bloomberg
  • Netsai Mangwende, Chief Financial Officer, UK, GroupM, UK                                               
  • Tevin Tobun, CEO, GV Group (Gate Ventures)
  • Yvonne Ike, Managing Director and Head of Sub Saharan Africa region, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
  • Paulette Rowe, CEO, Integrated and eCommerce Solutions, Paysafe
  • Roni Savage, Chartered Engineer, Founder of Jomas Associates
  • Dean Forbes, CEO, Forterro
  • Dame Sharon White, Chairman, John Lewis Partnership
  • Adrian Joseph, Managing Director, Group AI and Data Solutions, BT Group
  • Femi Bamisaiye , CIO, UK General Insurance, Aviva
  • Yemi Edun, Managing Director and Founder of Daniel Ford International and Daniel Ford & Co
  • Emeka Emembolu, Senior Vice President – North Sea at BP
  • Tunde Olanrewaju, Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company
  • Donya Rose (New), Managing Director, Chief Transformation Office, Deutsche Bank
  • Nathalie Villette (New), Group Head of Global Corporates and UK Country Head, Ecobank
  • Sambacor N’Diaye (New), Managing Director, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
  • John Odada Green (New), Head of Board and Board Committees, BP
  • John McCalla-Leacy (New), Partner, KPMG

Media, Publishing & Entertainment                            

  • Akala, Educator, Rapper, Poet, Activist
  • Edward Enninful, OBE, Editor-in-chief, British Vogue
  • Amma Asante, MBE, Writer, Director, and Chancellor at Norwich University of the Arts
  • Charlene White, ITN News Anchor and host of Loose Women
  • Lorna Clarke, BBC, Controller of Pop Music
  • Marcus Ryder, Head of External Consultancies Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity
  • Paulette Simpson, Executive, Corporate Affairs and Public Policy, Jamaica National Bank; Executive Director, The Voice Media Group
  • Reggie Yates, Broadcaster, actor, television presenter and radio DJ
  • Sir Lenny Henry, Actor, Writer, Campaigner
  • Vanessa Kingori, MBE, Publisher, British Vogue
  • Bernardine Evaristo Author
  • Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, MBE, Actor, campaigner, Act For Change
  • John Boyega, Actor
  • Idris Elba, OBE, Actor
  • Afua Hirsch, Journalist, Author, Broadcaster
  • Stormzy, Grime Artist
  • David Olusoga, Historian; Joint Creative Director of Uplands Television Ltd,broadcaster, presenter and film-maker
  • Alex Scott MBE (New), Presenter – Match of the Day

Politics, Law & Religion                              

  • David Lammy, MP, Shadow Lord Chancellor of the UK, MP for Tottenham
  • Dr Sandie Okoro, Senior Vice President and Group General Counsel, World Bank
  • Joshua Siaw, MBE, Partner at White & Case
  • Tom Shropshire, General Counsel & Company Secretary, Diageo plc
  • The Rt Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin , British Anglican bishop (Bishop of Dover)
  • Segun Osuntokun , Managing Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
  • Harry Matovu, QC, Barrister and Queen’s Counsel
  • Marcia Willis-Stewart, QC (Hon) , Managing Partner, Birnberg Peirce & Partner
  • I. Stephanie Boyce, Deputy Vice-President of the Law Society of England and Wales
  • Patrick Vernon, Social commentator, Windrush campaigner and cultural historian
  • Kwasi Kwarteng (New), Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
  • Sandra Wallace, UK Managing Partner, DLA Piper, Social Mobility Commissioner

Public, Third Sector & Education                                

  • Dr Margaret Casely-Hayford, CBE, Lawyer, Shakespeare’s Globe; Chancellor, Coventry University;     Non-Executive Director, Co-op Group
  • Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol
  • Nira Chamberlain, Professional Mathematician, Principal Consultant at SNC-Lavalin, Babcock International Group;
  • Professor Funmi Olonisakin, Vice-President and Vice-Principal International and

Professor of Security, Leadership and Development at King’s College London

  • Sonita Alleyne, OBE, Master, Jesus College, Cambridge
  • Professor Patricia Daley , Vice Principal at Jesus College Oxford
  • Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary at NASUWT
  • Miatta Fahnbulleh (New), Chief Exec, New Economics Foundation
  • Munroe Bergdorf (New), Model and Social Activist                        

Science, Medicine & Engineering                                 

  • Dr Emeka Okaro, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at Bart Health NHS Trust
  • Dr Ian Nnatu, Consultant Psychiatrist
  • Dr Joy Odili, Consultant Plastic Surgeon
  • Dr Sylvia Bartley, Senior Global Director, Medtronic Philanthropy, Author
  • Samantha Tross, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon
  • Professor Jacqueline Dunkley Bent, OBE, Chief Midwifery Officer, NHS England
  • Martin Griffiths, Lead trauma surgeon, Royal London & Clinical Director for Violence Reduction, NHS
  • Dr Paula Franklin, Chief Medical Officer at Bupa Group
  • Dr Jacqui Dyer, President of the Mental Health Foundation

Sports                        

  • Anthony Joshua, British professional boxer and two-time world heavyweight champion
  • Dina Asher-Smith, ritish record-holding sprinter
  • Raheem Sterling, Footballer
  • Maro Itoje, Rugby Player/Activist                 

Technology                                 

  • Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, MBE, CEO and Co-Founder, STEMettes
  • Ebele Okobi, Public Policy Director, Africa, the Middle  East & Turkey,  Facebook
  • Ije Nwokorie, Senior Director, Apple
  • Nneka Abulokwe, OBE, Founder and CEO, MicroMax Consulting
  • Rob Pierre (New), Founder and CEO, Jellyfish
  • Ade Adefulu (New), Global Head of Enterprise Sales Strategy and Operations, Marketing Solutions – Linkedin
  • Alex Okosi (New), Managing Director, Emerging Markets, YouTube EMEA

Comments Form

2 Comments

  1. | Denise Watson

    Check out Leyla Guscoth. Not only is she a paediatric doctor, she is also a world class netball, playing for England, and out in the Australian Suncorp league

    Reply

  2. | Sarah Dickinson

    Kobna Holdbrook-Smith has kept me company through many, many sleepless nights. Great to see his contributions acknowledged.

    Reply

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