Computer Weekly is this week launching the sixth annual UKtech50, our definitive list of the movers and shakers in UK IT - the CIOs, industry executives, public servants and business leaders driving the role of technology in the UK economy.
Our aim is to identify the 50 most influential leaders in UK IT. Whoever comes on top of the list will be the person that, in the opinion of our expert judging panel and a reader vote, holds the most influence over the future of the UK IT sector in the next 12 months – and hence the future of IT professionals across the country.
Last year’s winner of the UKtech50 was Jane Moran, the global CIO at Unilever. Moran took over as CIO at the consumer goods giant in June 2014, after four years as CIO at Thomson Reuters. At Unilever, she is involved with some of the most innovative technology developments in industry – the internet of things, 3D printing and a programme to fund and work with technology startups. She is also a supporter of efforts to encourage more women into IT – in 2012 Computer Weekly readers voted her as the most influential woman in UK IT that year. At Unilever, Moran is helping to reshape one of the UK’s most important companies for the digital world.
Moran is bound to be a contender again, but who else will follow her into this year’s fold? There will be plenty of candidates from every sector of the UK. With a new Parliament in place – and the Government Digital Service losing its executive director, Mike Bracken, who finished fifth in last year’s UKtech50 – will a new digital leader from Whitehall prove the winner? As the digital revolution transforms businesses, will a CIO with game-changing IT strategies come to the fore? Or as startups grow across the country, is this the time to recognise a technology entrepreneur?
To coincide with the announcement of the 50 most influential leaders in UK IT, Computer Weekly is hosting a special event in London on Wednesday 2 December 2015 – it will be a must-attend meeting for any IT leaders looking to develop their own influence, to be inspired by their peers and to lead innovation in their organisation. Look out for more details soon.
If you would like to nominate anyone you feel warrants recognition as one of the 50 most influential people in UK IT, simply complete the form below and submit your suggested individual.
Looking back at last year's UKtech50
- Jane Moran, CIO, Unilever;
- Tim Berners-Lee, World Wide Web inventor; director of Open Data Institute;
- Simon Segars, CEO, ARM Holdings;
- Liam Maxwell, UK government CTO;
- Mike Bracken, executive director, Government Digital Service;
- Gavin Patterson, CEO, BT;
- Catherine Doran, CIO, Royal Mail Group;
- Joanna Shields, chair, Tech City UK; prime minister's digital ambassador;
- Eben Upton, founder, Raspberry Pi Foundation;
- Mark Dearnley, chief digital and information officer, HM Revenue & Customs.
At least 12 of the 50 members of last year's UKtech50 list have changed jobs in the past 12 months, either through moving to new roles or, in some cases, by promotion to more senior positions.
Click here to see the full list of last year’s UKtech50.
Judging the UKtech50
The UKtech50 list will be decided by a judging panel representing every area of the UK IT profession – and we will ask readers to vote on who they think should top the list.
The panel has been chosen to represent different perspectives in IT – so each individual is acting both as an impartial and expert judge, as well as an advocate for their area of interest.
The judges are:
- Blaise Hammond, marketing director, TechUK;
- Brinley Platts, chairman, CIO Development;
- Joanna Poplawska, executive director, The Corporate IT Forum;
- Adam Thilthorpe, director of policy, professionalism and public affairs, BCS - The Chartered Institute for IT
Our judging panel will select the top 50 candidates based on the following criteria:
- Influence: What authority or ability does the person have – either through their personal position or the role they hold – to personally influence the development of UK IT, or to influence others in positions of authority?
- Achievements: What has the person achieved in the past 12 months to help the development of the UK IT?
- Profile: Is the person recognised as a role model for aspiring leaders? How widely are they acknowledged by their peers as an authority and influence on UK IT?
- Leadership: Does the person demonstrate the skills and experience necessary to be seen as a leader in the development of IT in the UK? Do they have a leadership role and does that help them to develop the role of IT in the UK?
- Potential: How likely is it that the person will have a significant impact on UK IT in the next 12 months? Will their authority and responsibility grow?
