Asim Erturk reflects on his Top 100 Influential People Win
“This isn’t a business award; it’s a people award. It’s about character, leadership and contribution. That’s what makes it so special. It’s not just CEOs or millionaires being recognised, it’s people from all walks of life who are doing something meaningful. It makes you proud to be part of it.”
When Asim Erturk, Founder and Managing Director of Londonist DMC, learned that he had been named among the Top 100 Most Influential People in the UK for 2025, his first reaction was disbelief.
Mark Huxley shares his Top 100 Experience
“Honestly the reaction to this has been phenomenal. It really put a pep in my step!”
When Mark Huxley was named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Britain, he was blown away by the feeling of recognition and success.
Zahra Shah reflects on her Top 100 win
Zahra encourages more people to take part in the awards, whether that’s through entering themselves or putting others forward, rewarding work deserves wider recognition.
Top 100 winner Andrew Bloch surprised by his win
When Andrew learned he had been named one of the Top 100 Influential People in the UK, his first reaction was feeling “genuinely surprised and very grateful. Being named was one of those moments where you stop, smile and quickly check someone isn’t playing a prank on you.”
Steve Hill MBE, a Top 100 Influential People Award Winner
Steve Hill MBE has dedicated his life to helping others. Upon learning of his Top 100 Influential People award, his first reaction was one of gratitude: “for the people I work alongside, the communities I serve and the opportunities I’ve been given over the years to make a positive difference in the world.”
“A Quiet Sense of ‘This Matters’”: Dr Miri Firth on being named a UK Top 100 winner
Dr Miri Firth is one of the UK’s most influential voices in educational innovation, widely recognised for transforming how universities design, deliver and evaluate learning through flexible and inclusive assessment. Despite this, her reaction to being named one of the Top 100 Influential People in the UK was “a mixture of surprise, gratitude, and a quiet sense of ‘oh! this matters.’ It wasn’t something I expected, which perhaps made it all the more meaningful.”
Stephen Slessor humbled at Top 100 win
Learning of his Top 100 influential People award, Stephen felt a genuine sense of “surprise and gratitude.” To Stephen, it is “humbling to be recognised alongside so many people doing meaningful work across different sectors.”
Kevin Osbon MBE Named in Top 100 Influential People 2026 for Second Year
Reacting to his Top 100 win, Kevin said he felt “very proud”, particularly given that the construction sector is often overlooked in awards that celebrate influential leaders: “The construction industry tends to be under-represented in terms of awards against other industries, many of which are seen as more appealing than the property and construction sector.”
Dr Sumit Mitra grateful for his Top 100 win
When Dr Mitra learned of his place in the Top 100 Influential People, he felt deeply grateful and humble. “Personal accolades are never solo sport. It’s a team sport. It is the cumulative outcome of trust built over time, decisions taken under uncertainty and teams aligned behind a shared purpose.” Going further, he believes the “recognition belongs as much to the people and institutions I’ve worked with as it does to me.”
Geeta Sidhu-Robb deeply honoured by Top 100 win.
Upon learning of the Top 100 award, Geeta felt both “deeply honoured” and “incredibly meaningful.” The award was “about every woman who has ever felt silenced, overlooked or unsafe at work. It felt like recognition of a movement, not just an individual.” As an entrepreneur who is willing to ask uncomfortable questions, for Geeta, the award “felt like validation that challenging the status quo is worth.”
Gethin Nadin called his Top 100 win a huge honour
Gethin views his Top 100 Influential People award as “a huge honour” and “the culmination of two decades of work” reflecting his wider impact representing the UK on the international stage. He describes how seeing his name alongside people he has admired for years as “genuinely humbling.” It validated years of work influencing policy and improving working lives.
Jamal Ahmed Top 100 win was ‘unexpected and meaningful’
For Jamal, winning the Top 100 Influential People award was surprising. Reflecting upon it, he “felt deeply humbled.” “Influence isn’t something I’ve ever chased deliberately, so to have my work recognised in this way felt both unexpected and meaningful. It was a moment of quiet gratitude rather than celebration.”
