Who's Who in 2024?

Who's Who 2024 is the 176th 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 almost 500 new names for 2024.

It contains more than 32,500 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 175 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 2024 has seen the Coronation of the King and Queen, and appearing for the first time is Lt Col Jonathan Thompson, Equerry to the King. Also making his debut is furniture restorer and eco-designer Jay Blades, MBE, whose award- winning episode of The Repair Shop starred King Charles. Actress and singer Sheridan Smith, OBE began her television work with a different Royle Family and went on to star in Gavin & Stacey and Cilla.

Literature, Art and Music
New names in Who’s Who this year include poet and Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and writer Kit de Waal, whose books include My Name is Leon and Common People. Also included for the first time are playwright Hannah Khalil, poet Raymond Antrobus, MBE and writer Monique Roffey, co-founder of Writers Rebel. Other new names are sculptor Hew Locke, OBE, RA, whose work includes The Procession, and Alison Owen, who has produced the films Elizabeth, Saving Mr Banks and Suffragette. Composer and conductor Tan Dun is a new entrant in Who’s Who 2024, along with Eric Whitacre, who founded the Virtual Choir.

Business, Leisure and Sport
Making an entrance are Richard Thompson who chairs M&C Saatchi UK and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and Joseph Saumarez Smith, Chief Executive of Sports Gaming and Chair of the British Horseracing Authority. Also new are Alejandro Russo, Chief Executive of B&M Retail and Tamsin Todd, CEO of genealogy service Findmypast. Jody Ford, CEO of Trainline, likes ‘European train travel’ in her spare time, while Andrew Lord, Commissioner of Transport for London prefers ‘commercial aviation’. Daniel Conway, CEO of the Publishers Association enjoys ‘kitchen discos’, while Nathan Edwards, Master of the Royal Armouries, likes ‘swordplay’.

Science, Technology and Medicine
New entrants this year include Hannah Russell, Chief Executive of the British Science Association, David Edwards, Chief Executive of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and Penelope Endersby, CEO of the Meteorological Office. Also included for the first time are UK CEO of AI company Helsing, Nicholas Elliott, CB, MBE and Nigel Toon, CEO of Graphcore and writer of the forthcoming book, How AI Thinks. Obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Philip Banfield, Chair of the British Medical Association, enjoys beekeeping in his spare time, while nurse William Roberts, CEO of the Royal Society for Public Health, has a soft spot for badgers.

Law and Trade Unions
Nicholas Emmerson, President of the Law Society of England and Wales, makes his first appearance in Who’s Who along with Professor of Disability Law Anna Lawson, FBA, who reveals that she enjoys natural voice singing as well as walking with her lovely guide dog. The inclusion of recreations provides an extra insight into the lives of this year’s new entrants. Barrister Jasvir Singh Degun, CBE, who is also Chair of City Sikhs and Co-founder of South Asian Heritage Month, spends time ‘finding the right turban for every occasion’, while Nneka Akudolu, KC is a ‘lover of an elegant high heel’ and Philip Rule, KC enjoys ‘ripping up dance floors at otherwise respectable legal events’. Other new names this year include Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, and Paul Fleming, General Secretary of Equity, the union for performing arts.

Charity, Campaigning and Faith
Richard Angell, Chief Executive of the Terrence Higgins Trust is a new entrant in Who’s Who 2024, along with Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, Mark Dowie, Chief Executive of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, and Peter Laurie, Chief Executive of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. Other new names include Joanna Abeyie, MBE, BBC’s Head of Creative Diversity, Inaya Iman, Director of the Equiano Project promoting discussion on issues of race, culture and politics, and Jayne Ozanne, Director of the Global Interfaith Commission on LGBT+ Lives. Also new is Zara Mohammed, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Great Britain, and Rt Rev. Michael Royal, General Secretary of Churches Together in England.