Who's Who in 2022?

Who's Who 2022 is the 174th edition of one of the world's longest established and most comprehensive general reference books, brought right up to date for the year ahead with 400 new names for 2022.

It contains more than 33,000 autobiographical entries, carefully updated for maximum accuracy from information personally supplied by the biographee. People are chosen for invitation as holders of key appointments and by our  Selection Board on the basis of their particular individual achievements. After 173  years, Who’s Who is still the most reliable directory of the noteworthy and  influential people in every area of public life.

The online version, published by Oxford University Press, is available at www.ukwhoswho.com.

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Who’s Who 2022 features a wide variety of new entrants, from James Timpson, OBE, Chief Executive of Timpson Group and Chair of the Prison Reform Trust, to publisher Juliet Mabey, OBE who began her career as a circus hand before establishing Oneworld Publications..

This year has seen current Who's Who entrants revise their entries to reflect life in the continuing global pandemic. Disability champion Andrew Miller, MBE includes in his recreations ‘fondly remembering travel’ and ‘life before 2020’, while diplomat Susanna Moorehead prefers ‘enjoying being still and not travelling’. Dr Simon Murphy records that he is a volunteer COVID-19 vaccination steward, while Air Cdre Barbara Cooper, CBE enjoys ‘seeing family and friends (COVID-19 restrictions permitting)’. Retired Judge His Honour Michael Carroll enjoys ‘zooming’ and Louis Flannery, QC spends time ‘arguing about pros and cons of lockdown’.

There are new and exciting names this year from the stage and screen, including theatre producer William Village, Chief Executive of Delfont Mackintosh Theatres and sound designer Paul Arditti who has worked on productions including Billy Elliot the Musical, Saint Joan and The Inheritance. Also appearing for the first time are Farooq Chaudhry, OBE, Executive Producer of the Akram Khan Dance Company, and writer and director Amma Asante, MBE whose films include Belle, Where Hands Touch and A United Kingdom. Prolific stage and screen actor Toby Jones, OBE, known for Frost/Nixon, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Hunger Games and The Detectorists, makes his debut in Who’s Who, along with screenwriter, executive producer and showrunner Simon Blackwell whose work includes The Thick of It, Peep Show, Veep and The Personal History of David Copperfield.

CHARITY AND CAMPAIGNING

Feminist activist Gabby Edlin, Founder and Chief Executive of Bloody Good Period is a new entrant in Who’s Who 2022, along with designer Lauren Currie, OBE, Founder of UPFRONT and Chair of Pregnant Then Screwed. Also included for the first time is campaigner Sue Sanders, Chair of Schools OUT, a charity working for the equality of LGBT+ people in the education system. We have the aptly named Keith Weed, CBE, President of the Royal Horticultural Society and Isabella Tree, author and conservationist whose books include Wilding and When We Went Wild. Nicholas Boys Smith, Director of Create Streets quite rightly enjoys ‘exploring streets’ in his spare time, while Allison Ogden-Newton, OBE, Chief Executive Officer of Keep Britain Tidy includes in her recreations ‘proving dyslexia can be an asset’.

FASHION AND DESIGN

New entrants this year include make-up artist Dame Patricia McGrath who was awarded a DBE earlier this year for her services to the fashion and beauty industry and to diversity, and Afroditi Krassa, Creative Director of Afroditi, designing hospitality venues including Curzon Cinemas, Dishoom and Itsu. Also making a first appearance is artist, designer and maker, Dr Zoe Laughlin, Co-founder and Director of the Institute of Making at University College London and presenter of television programmes including The Secret Story of Stuff and How to Make.

LAW AND POLITICS

The inclusion of recreations provides an extra insight into the lives of this year’s new entrants. Professor of US Politics at Oxford University Adam Smith spends time ‘worrying about the world’ and Claire Mitchell, QC ‘unsuccessfully tries to stay off Twitter’, while James McClelland, QC likes ‘keeping an open mind’. Scottish Parliament Member Pamela Duncan-Glancy mentions her cockapoo called Tony and Welsh Parliament Member Natasha Asghar likes ‘extreme sport’. Nichola Warrender, QC enjoys ‘kitchen discos with cocktails and Wham’, and President of Malta Dr George Vella spends time ‘collecting Victorian postal stationery’. Meanwhile, Air Vice-Marshal Michael Smeath, Defence Attaché in Washington has an ‘unhealthy interest in building Lego’.