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Jacky Wright, of Jamaican descent, tops UK’s Powerlist

List of top 10 dominated by people of Jamaican descent

By Ricky Browne

As the UK celebrates Black History Month, Jacky Wright of Jamaican descent, is the UK’s most influential black person according to the new 2022 Powerlist.

She was joined by at least three other people of Jamaican descent on the list of the top 10 most influential people.

The list ranks people of African and Caribbean heritage who work in the areas of health, business, science and the arts. The list was first launched in 2007 to highlight influential black people from the UK. The idea behind it is to “provide professional role models for young people of African and African Caribbean heritage” Powerful Media says on its site.

Jacky Wright is of Jamaican descent

Wright, who is the Chief Digital Officer and is a Corporate Vice President  for Microsoft, based in the US,  is upfront about her Jamaican heritage.

“I come from a family from the Caribbean Jamaica.” she told the BBC.

“My dad served in the Royal Air Force. My mother — Windrush  — came on a boat to this country. They had to strive against all odds. So My dad really instilled in me I could be and could do anything.”

She noted that her rise in business had nothing to do with tokenism, but had to do with knowing her craft.

“I am proud to be in the company of these great leaders of African and African-Caribbean heritage, but I am reminded that we still have a very long way to go,”  Wright said.

Marcus Rashford is of Jamaican descent

Just behind her was UK-based footballer Marcus Rashford, who has led several campaigns to end child poverty in the UK and  for greater racial equality. Rashford is also of Jamaican Descent, with a Jamaican father and a mother from St Kitts.

Interestingly, Kwasi Kwarteng – Government minister for Business and Energy – did not make the top 10 list. Maybe if he was a minister in a Labour government he would have. He does make it – just – on the list of the most important black people in politics, law and religion, ranking 11th. Top of that particular list is David Lammy, Labour’s shadow Lord Chancellor and MP for Tottenham. Kwarteng is a new entrant on the Powerlist.

Other names on the top 10 included (in declining order) Anne Mensah, Daniel Kaluuya, Prof Kevin Fenton, Steven Bartlett, Michaela Coel, Lord Simon Woolley, Richard Iferenta and Jaqueline McKenzie.

Kevin Fenton grew up in Jamaica, the land of his parents

Several of the top 10 are also at least partially of Jamaican descent. London’s regional director for public health, Kevin Fenton grew up in Jamaica and still retains his Jamaican accent. Windrush lawyer Jacqueline McKenzie is of Grenadian and Jamaican parentage.

Jacqueline McKenzie is of Jamaican descent

Though British of Jamaican descent, Wright has also spent much of her life in the United States and went to the Baruch College at City University of New York where she earned a BA in Business Administration.

Though topping the UK list, Wright credits being in the US for much of her success.

So does CNN Business which ran a story yesterday with the headline “Microsoft’s Jcky Wright had to leave the UK to beome its most influential Black person”.

The CNN story said that “Wright, who topped the Powerlist 2022 ranking from Powerful Media, told CNN Business that her career may not have taken off in the United Kingdom because there are fewer opportunities and a lack of Black women role models at the top of the corporate ladder”.

“I’m not sure I would be chief digital officer at Microsoft had I not been in the US taking a series of career steps,” Wright told CNN.

“There are more opportunities in the US than there are in the UK,” she also stated.

Wright has worked at Microsoft for a total of 10 years according to her LinkedIn profile, starting in 2011 as VP of IT Strategic Services before moving into her present role.

Wright featured on the BBC earlier today

For two years she was seconded to HM Revenue and Customs in London  as the Chief Digital and Information Officer from 2017 to 2019.

Prior to Microsoft she worked as VP and CIO Functions for BP from 2008 to 2011. Her career also includes six years at GE as CIO from 2000 to 2006, two years as a director for AutoNation and two years as a senior manager for Andersen Consulting in Miami Florida from 1996 to 1998.

According to CNN: “There are no Black CEOs, CFOs or chairs at the 100 most valuable companies on the London Stock Exchange, according to Green Park, an executive recruitment and diversity consultancy agency. The percentage of Black executive directors and non-executive directors in the FTSE 100 (UKX) is 1.1%, down from 1.3% in 2014, according to the agency.”

“In the United States, 11.4% of board seats at Fortune 100 companies were occupied by Black leaders in 2020, according to Deloitte,” CNN says.



This post first appeared on About Bridging Loans, please read the originial post: here

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Jacky Wright, of Jamaican descent, tops UK’s Powerlist

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