Powerlist 2026: Joshua Siaw MBE one of Britain’s top five most influential Black people
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White & Case LLP partner Joshua Siaw MBE has been recognized as the fifth most influential Black person in the UK and the most influential in law by the Powerlist 2026.
It is the 11th consecutive year Siaw has been included in the Powerlist. He said: "I am honoured to be included amongst such influential role models who have used their platforms to create positive and lasting social impact in communities across the UK and around the world."
The Powerlist 2026 top five also includes Bank of England chief financial officer Afua Kyei and soccer legend Ian Wright OBE.
Published by Powerful Media, the annual Powerlist honours the 100 most influential Black people in Britain. They represent a wide variety of industries and are selected by an independent panel of judges for their "ability to positively alter events and change lives as demonstrated over a reasonable period of time."
Siaw, a partner in the Firm's Debt Finance practice and director of the Africa practice, advises corporations, governments, banks and other financial institutions on cross-border deals in Africa.
This year, Siaw was appointed by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh to the board of trustees of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award Foundation. In January 2023, he was named chair of the UK government's Africa Investors Group and has held this position under three different UK prime ministers, in both Conservative and Labour governments. In 2019, Siaw was appointed a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in recognition of his services to the law and his contribution to UK trade and investment in Africa. He is a member of the Global Britain Sub-Group of the UK Board of Trade and the UK government's Africa Green Growth Advisory Council, and Forbes has named him as "one of Africa's most influential young business leaders."
