Female journalist named most influential individual in Tech 500 Power List
Emily Gosden, Energy Editor at The Times, has become the first woman to head the Tech 500 Power List, an annual rating compiled by European PR firm Tyto.
Godsen took the top spot this year, marking the first time a woman has taken this place on the list, which in its third year.
The Tyto Tech 500 Power List, the only objective data-driven influence study into the UK tech sector, shows the increasing influence women and the media have on the sector.
GreenTech in the spotlight
The ranking also puts the influence of GreenTech on the sector in the limelight for the first time.
12 GreenTech influencers made it on to the list this year, reflecting the current climate of consumer interest in environmental issues.
Women’s influence growing
Overall, women are growing their influence year-on-year, representing 34 percent of the Tyto Tech 500 Power List, up from 31 percent in 2018, and 24 percent in 2017.
Women’s influence on the tech sector is growing much faster that their actual representation in the sector; only 17% of roles are held by women.
Anne Boden MBE, Founder & CEO of Starling Bank, is represented in the top 10 for the third year in a row.
In total, 20 different sectors are represented in the list.
FinTech is majority sector
For the third consecutive year, FinTech has taken the majority sector stake with over one fifth of influencers coming from this subsector (22 percent of the list).
FinTech’s incremental influence is indicative of the strength of this sector in the UK and its role as an important FinTech hub.
This year’s Tyto Tech 500 Power List also revealed that, having lost ground in 2018, the media has regained its influence over the sector, with journalists representing six out of the top ten and 14% of the full 500, (a 3% increase on 2018).
BBC ranks
The BBC ranks particularly highly; 13% of all journalists on the list are from the BBC and it is the leading organisation in terms of the number of employees making it on to the list.
The top 10 influencers for 2019 are:
2019 2018 rank
- 1. Emily Gosden - The Times 194 UP
- 2. Simon Calder – Independent 88 UP
- 3. Dr. Michael Mosley - BBC News 19 UP
- 4. Chi Onwurah – Government 83 UP
- 5. Richard Branson – Virgin 77 UP
- 6. Fiona Briggs - Retail Times 260 UP
- 7. Gideon Spanier – Campaign 297 UP
- 8. Stephen Fry – None 41 UP
- 9. Anne Boden - Starling Bank 8 DOWN
- 10. Rory Cellan-Jones – BBC 22 UP
Brendon Craigie, Co-founder and Managing Partner of Tyto, commented: “It’s been great to chart the rising influence of women on the UK tech sector, despite women barely making up a fifth of the UK tech workforce.
“These leaders are playing a vital role in helping to shift the perception of the industry as an old boys’ club and encouraging more women to enter the sector.
“I’ve got no doubt this growing gender equality in influence will ultimately feed through to a more gender-balanced UK tech workforce.”
The Tyto Tech 500 Power List was created using a five-stage data-driven analysis process, assessing an individual’s traditional and social media influence as well as prominence at public events.