Have you ever wondered who the most powerful business men and women are in the UK? Brexit might be looming but apparently the economy is performing strongly, and these important players are more important than ever. So, here are some of those big players:
Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP
Martin Sorrell has been in charge of WPP for 34 years. The company was initially a basket maker, but Sorrell has transformed it into a huge advertising business that employs more than 200, 000 people. He earned a whopping £70 million in one year – which was probably needed for his notoriously expensive divorce!
Emma Walmsley, Glaxo Smith Kline
Becoming head of GSK, she will be the most powerful woman on the FTSE 100 list. She spent 17 years with L’Oreal before joining GSK and as a mother of four as well, must be extremely busy!
Sir Richard Branson, Virgin
The globally iconic entrepreneur who is the founder of the Virgin group is now worth an astonishing £5 billion. He has friends in high places, naming the Obamas as his pals. He hates to wear a tie, opting for the smart casual vibe and is desperate to fly into space.
Sir James Dyson, Dyson
As one of the most famous inventors, Dyson is the perfect example of entrepreneurism. What started with a cardboard model of a vacuum cleaner has become a £5 billion empire and he now owns more land than Queen Elizabeth!
Carolyn Fairbairn, Confederation of British Industry
Fairburn is the head of the group that represents business in Britain and as such, is one of the most influential individuals on the business world. She has speed dial to almost any CEO following a career of three decades that includes time spent at the BBC and ITV.
Lakshmi Mittal, ArcelorMittal
Mittal is one of the wealthiest men in Britain, accumulating a fortune of $17 million from being CEO of the largest steel manufacturer in the world. Imagine the elegance of his CEO office, complete with only the very best executive chair. Feel like a CEO with your own designer Eames Office Chair from https://www.pash-classics.com/office/chairs
Sir Jonathan Ive, Apple
He might live in the states but Apple’s chief designer hails from the UK. He has designed some of the best-loved Apple products like the iPhone and iMac. He was good friends with Steve Jobs and has earned a respectable $130 million so far for his designing talents.
Mark Carney, Bank of England
The Bank of England governor might be Canadian, but he still makes this list as he wields a lot of power in the business world. The aim of the bank is to provide financial and monetary reliability and stability through printing money and setting interest rates. The decisions that Carney makes have significant impacts on all of us.
Lord Sugar, Entrepreneur
Lord Sugar needs little introduction as the face of The Apprentice TV show and is one of the most well-known and iconic faces in British business. He started his business life in East London where he was at the forefront of Amstrad’s personal computing. Today, he is a billionaire with great influence and a large following of fans.
