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UKtech50 2024 was Computer Weekly’s annual longlist of people nominated as influential figures in UK IT and technology. Published on 3 June 2024, the article reported a record 434 nominations during the programme’s 14th year. The names were presented alphabetically—not as a ranking—and the published longlist should not be confused with the final top 50.
Computer Weekly said its judges had already selected the top 50 when the longlist was published, while readers were invited to vote for who they believed deserved the top position. This is therefore a historical record of the 2024 nomination process, not the latest UK technology-leadership ranking. See Computer Weekly’s original alphabetical longlist.
What is UKtech50?
UKtech50 is Computer Weekly’s annual recognition programme for people influencing the UK’s technology sector and digital economy. Its definition of technology leadership is broad. It includes commercial technology executives, but also public-sector leaders, policymakers, researchers, investors, entrepreneurs and people working on inclusion, standards and responsible technology.
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The 2024 longlist reflected that breadth. It included corporate CIOs, CTOs and chief digital officers alongside government and NHS technology leaders, cybersecurity specialists, academics, founders, technology-policy experts and social-impact leaders.
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Being nominated did not amount to a government award, an employment endorsement or proof that someone was among the final 50. It meant that the person was included in the published group considered for the 2024 programme.
How many people were nominated?
Computer Weekly reported 434 nominations for UKtech50 2024, describing the total as a record for the programme at that point. The source uses the word “nominations”; it does not establish that the figure represents 434 unique individuals after any duplicate or repeat nominations were consolidated.
The number of names displayed on the article should therefore not automatically be described as “434 people”. The safest description is that 434 nominations were received and that Computer Weekly published a broader alphabetical longlist of nominees considered for the programme.
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How were candidates judged?
Computer Weekly identified five criteria for assessing candidates:
- Influence: authority or the ability to influence UK IT, including influence held by people in positions of authority.
- Achievements: what the candidate had achieved during the previous 12 months.
- Profile: recognition as a role model or authority among peers.
- Leadership: skills, experience and responsibility supporting the development of UK IT.
- Potential: the likelihood of making a significant impact during the following 12 months.
These were Computer Weekly’s selection criteria, not an objective industry-wide measurement of influence. They also show why the list was not simply a popularity contest or a collection of startup chief executives.
Who appeared on the 2024 longlist?
The complete source article gives the names in alphabetical order. That ordering matters: the position of a name on the page does not indicate influence, seniority or the likelihood of finishing first.
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Examples listed in the June 2024 article include:
- Demis Hassabis, Google DeepMind founder and CEO.
- Eben Upton, founder of the Raspberry Pi Foundation.
- Alex Kendall, CEO of Wayve.
- Anne Boden, founder of Starling Bank.
- Rene Haas, CEO of Arm Holdings.
- Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web and director of the Open Data Institute.
- Greg Jackson, CEO of Octopus Energy.
- Poppy Gustafsson, listed as CEO of Darktrace at the time.
- Nigel Toon, CEO of Graphcore.
- Euan Blair, CEO of Multiverse.
- Anne Keast-Butler, director of GCHQ.
- John Edwards, UK Information Commissioner.
- Ian Hogarth, chair of the AI Safety Institute.
- Sandra Wachter, professor and senior researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute.
- Helen Milner, CEO of Good Things Foundation.
- Anne-Marie Imafidon, CEO of Stemettes.
- Anna Brailsford, CEO of Code First Girls.
These examples illustrate the range of the longlist; they are not a selection of the “top” nominees. For checking whether a particular person appeared, use the original Computer Weekly page as the authoritative alphabetical reference.
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The published names covered leaders from:
- Central and local government.
- The NHS and digital health.
- Banking, fintech and insurance.
- Retail and consumer services.
- Energy and utilities.
- Telecommunications and technology suppliers.
- Artificial intelligence, quantum technology and advanced computing.
- Cybersecurity and data governance.
- Universities and research institutions.
- Transport, aviation and logistics.
- Media, entertainment and sport.
- Startup investment and entrepreneurship.
- Charities, digital inclusion and social-impact organisations.
This geographic and institutional breadth is one of the list’s defining features. UKtech50 was not limited to leaders of UK-founded technology companies or people based in London. It also recognised people influencing technology through public services, regulation, research, standards, skills and inclusion.
The themes behind the 2024 list
Computer Weekly introduced the 2024 longlist against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, international turmoil and regulatory change. It also highlighted growing interest in quantum technology and artificial intelligence, particularly generative AI.
The nominees reflected several overlapping areas of debate:
- AI and generative AI: development, deployment, safety and governance.
- Quantum technology: emerging research and its potential commercial and national importance.
- Cybersecurity: protecting organisations and public infrastructure.
- Public-sector transformation: improving government and health services through technology.
- Digital health: applying data and digital systems to healthcare.
- Fintech and financial services: changing banking, payments and financial products.
- Skills and inclusion: widening access to technology careers and digital services.
- Standards and regulation: shaping how technology is governed and used responsibly.
These are themes visible in Computer Weekly’s editorial framing and in the variety of roles represented. They should not be read as a statistical analysis of the entire UK technology economy.
Longlist, top 50 and winner: what is the difference?
The terms describe different stages or outputs:
- Nominations: Computer Weekly reported receiving 434 nominations.
- Published longlist: the broader alphabetical group of nominees considered for the 2024 programme.
- Judges’ top 50: Computer Weekly said the judges had already selected this group when the longlist article was published.
- Reader input: readers were invited to vote for who they thought deserved the top spot.
- Final result: the eventual ranking or top-place recognition, which must be checked in the relevant final-result coverage rather than inferred from the longlist.
Appearing on the longlist does not prove that a person made the final top 50. Equally, alphabetical placement does not indicate a person’s position in any final ranking.
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Important date and data caveats
The list is a snapshot from June 2024. Company leadership, government appointments and public-sector roles may have changed since then. A title shown in the article should be understood as the person’s role as listed at that time, not necessarily their role in 2026.
The published list also contains apparent spelling or duplication issues that require care when transcribing it. For example, Andy McClintock and Andy McLintock appear as separate entries with the same Social Security Scotland role, while Sharon Moore appears twice with the same role. Other similar-looking names and spellings should be checked against the original page rather than silently merged.
These are apparent inconsistencies, not confirmed errors. A person should not be removed merely because they are less well known, work outside a commercial technology company, or represent a regional, public-sector, academic or nonprofit organisation.
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No. The 2024 longlist is historical. Computer Weekly subsequently published longlist articles for UKtech50 2025 and UKtech50 2026. Readers looking for the current programme should use the later edition, while readers checking a 2024 nomination should use the 2024 source.
Bottom line
UKtech50 2024 was a broad, alphabetical nomination longlist of people considered influential in UK technology. Computer Weekly reported 434 nominations, but the longlist was not itself a ranking and did not establish that every listed nominee reached the final top 50. For a name check, role as listed in 2024 or the complete alphabetical record, consult the original Computer Weekly article.
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