The Bank of England’s chief financial officer, Afua Kyei, has been named the UK’s most influential black person.
Ms Kyei, who is also the executive director of the central bank, topped the annual Powerlist, which recognises the most powerful Britons of African, African Caribbean, and African American heritage.
The 43-year-old said she was “delighted that someone in the public sector and financial services is being recognised in this way”.
Ms Kyei joined the Bank of England in 2019 and was appointed by former governor Mark Carney, who is now the prime minister of Canada.
She is responsible for overseeing the financial governance of the Bank’s balance sheet, which grew to more than £1tn at its peak during the COVID pandemic.
Pundit and former footballer Ian Wright was second on The Powerlist 2026, followed by make-up artist and beauty brand founder Dame Pat McGrath.
Ian Wright. Pic: PA
Speaking on Sky News about the importance of The Powerlist, Ms Kyei said: “What we’ve seen throughout history is that sometimes the contributions of ethnic minority talent or black leaders are not always recorded and so they get forgotten, and sometimes get lost.”
She went on: “So The Powerlist is fantastic because it actually showcases all of that talent and it allows people to create vision and it establishes a legacy so that people can say ‘yes, it’s possible, let me go for it’.”
The full Powerlist 2026 Top 10:
1. Afua Kyei – chief financial officer and executive director, Bank of England
2. Ian Wright – footballer, broadcaster and advocate for equity in sport
3. Dame Pat McGrath – make-up artist and founder of Pat McGrath Labs
Dame Pat McGrath. File pic: Invision/AP
4. Pamela Maynard – chief AI transformation officer, Microsoft MCAPS
5. Joshua Siaw – partner at White and Case
6. Tunde Olanrewaju – senior partner and managing partner, McKinsey and Company Europe
7. Steven Bartlett – entrepreneur and panellist on Dragons’ Den
Steven Bartlett. Pic: PA
8. Emma Grede – chief executive and co-founder, Good American; and founding partner, Skims
9. Idris Elba – actor, filmmaker and philanthropist
10. Ije Nwokorie – chief executive, Dr Martens
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Michael Eboda, chief executive of Powerful Media, said: “When we launched The Powerlist back in 2006, our aim was simple – to highlight role models whose achievements could inspire others. What has happened over the past 20 years has exceeded anything we imagined.
“It has created visibility, shifted perceptions and, most importantly, shown young black people that there is no limit to what they can achieve.
“To mark this 20th anniversary with Afua Kyei at number one feels especially powerful – she embodies the leadership, resilience and vision that the Powerlist was created to honour.”
