Jenny Chapman, Cambridge News & Media, writes:
A few years ago, when we first ran Cambridge’s Most Influential Business People, Claire Ruskin, chief executive of Cambridge Network, brought along Jimmy Wales to the event where the list was revealed. I seem to remember that nobody had much of an idea who he was, but when it comes to being influential, you can’t get much better than the founder of Wikipedia.
Anyway, we have quite a lot of our own “Jimmys” in Cambridge, and they will all be on the 2017 list; but we don’t want to miss influencers who are still under the radar, so to speak, and would welcome your help in making sure they are not left out.
To give you a steer, here is the 2011 list: Hermann Hauser, Sir Michael Marshall, Warren East (then CEO of ARM, now CEO of Rolls Royce), Walter Herriot, David Cleevely, Brian Moon (then boss of Cambridge Consultants), Nigel Brown, Neil Davidson (then still active in Redgate), Cllr Nick Clarke, Alan Barrell, Billy Boyle, Ann Fisher, John Bridge, Martin Garratt (then with the Greater Cambridge Partnership, now director of Cambridge Cleantech), Mike Lynch, Andy Harter, Andy Richards, Charles Cotton, Claire Ruskin, Harriet Fear, Hugh Parnell, Peter Dawe, Steve Sharratt, Jonathan Milner. Only six years ago, but much has changed, with new influencers bounding forward. I can already think of a number of people whom I hope will be on the 2017 list.
We are, as in 2011, aiming for 25 names on the list, and in no particular order. The final list will be revealed on October 19 at St Catharine’s College, when the guest speaker will be Billy Boyle. Meanwhile, if you would like to put forward a name (or your own), please email karen.ball@cambridge-news.co.uk. The deadline for nominations is September 15.
Barclays is delighted to sponsor the Most Influential People Awards 2017. Recognising the achievements of business leaders across Cambridge continues to be really important. “It is great to see so many local leaders investing for the future, creating wealth and employment, investing in new technologies or exploring new markets for exports; there are some terrific success stories across this region.
“The energy and depth of knowledge displayed by the leaders we work with across the region are a continual source of inspiration for us. It’s a privilege to work with such a wide and diverse range of successful leaders, across a breadth of markets. We are looking forward to celebrating their success at the awards.”
Kelly Dunn, audit partner at KPMG in Cambridge, said the company was proud to be a supporter of the awards. “As one of the fastest growing cities in the UK, Cambridge continues to attract successful businesses, innovative start-ups and a highly skilled workforce. The city is expected to continue to lead the pack in terms of growth and job creation for the next decade, driven largely by the energy and commercial awareness of our business leaders and we feel their success should be celebrated.
“Having been based in the city for a number of decades, KPMG has had the privilege to support many of the business leaders who have contributed to the on-going success of Cambridge. We are constantly impressed by their strategic thinking, vision and endless drive to succeed. Our business leaders are among the most successful in the world and make a huge contribution, not just to our local economy, but to the careers of many aspiring directors and entrepreneurs.
“We wanted to support these awards to celebrate the people that have had a major role in making Cambridge the vibrant and successful centre that it is today and will continue to be in the future.”
@CambridgeNewsUK on Twitter | cambridgenews on Facebook
_____________________________________________