City of London leader named ‘most influential black Briton’

Ian Thomas, chief executive of the City of London Corporation, has been named the UK’s most influential Black Briton in this year’s Black Powerlist awards.

The 57-year old is the first Black person to oversee the Square Mile’s governing body in its more than 900-year history.

The City of London Corporation is an administrative body with responsibility for London’s central financial district, headed by its own Lord Mayor.

Thomas tops the 2027 Black Powerlist, which recognises the most powerful people of African and Caribbean heritage in the UK.

The award body said he was “a respected public-service leader with over 30 years’ experience in local government”.

Other influential names in this year’s top ten include entrepreneurs Emma Grede and Steven Bartlett, as well as actor and filmmaker Sir Idris Elba.

Comedian Sir Lenny Henry has also been recognised, with a Lifetime Achievement award, for co-founding Comic Relief, which has raised over £1.6bn since 1985.

Now in its 21st year, the Black Powerlist celebrates people who have broken through barriers to reach leadership roles, thereby inspiring future generations.

“It exists to show young people of African and Caribbean heritage what is possible, in fields they might never have considered,” said Michael Eboda, the list’s publisher.