Dean Forbes, the CEO of software solutions firm Forterro and once reportedly homeless as a teenager, has been named the UK’s most influential Black person.
Forbes, 46, topped The Powerlist 2025, surpassing prominent figures in food, finance, and fashion, including Bernard Mensah, Bank of America’s president of international, and Afua Kyei, chief financial officer at the Bank of England.
Forterro, Forbes’ company, provides specialized software products to support industrial businesses in enhancing operations and driving growth, with a reported valuation of £1.7 billion.
The Powerlist, produced in collaboration with JP Morgan, celebrates influential individuals of African, African Caribbean, and African American heritage in the UK.
Past honorees include British Vogue’s former editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, seven-time Formula One champion Sir Lewis Hamilton, and celebrated author and former children’s laureate Malorie Blackman.
This year’s top 10 also features Emma Grede, a founding partner of Kim Kardashian’s Skims brand, and chef Adejoke Bakare, the first Black woman in the UK to receive a Michelin star.
Since its launch in 2005, The Powerlist has highlighted inspiring Black role models to motivate young people across the nation.
