Ian Thomas, chief executive of the City of London Corporation, has been named the UK's most influential Black Briton in the 2027 Black Powerlist awards. The 57-year-old is the first Black person to lead the Square Mile's governing body in its more than 900-year history.
Thomas oversees around 5,000 staff and holds responsibility for the City of London Police, 11,000 acres of open spaces including Epping Forest and Hampstead Heath, and advocacy for the UK's financial and professional services sector. He secured the role in 2022 following seven interviews and an election.
The Black Powerlist, now in its 21st year, recognises the most powerful people of African and Caribbean heritage in the UK. Other figures in this year's top ten include entrepreneurs Emma Grede and Steven Bartlett and actor Sir Idris Elba. Comedian Sir Lenny Henry received a Lifetime Achievement Award for co-founding Comic Relief, which has raised over £1.6bn since 1985.
Thomas was born in Sheffield to parents who arrived from Jamaica as part of the Windrush generation. Before leading the City of London Corporation, he served as chief executive of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, where he oversaw a £1.2bn regeneration programme. He was appointed a CBE in 2019 following his work transforming children's services at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council.