39
POWERLIST 2008
8
KEN OLISA
CEO Restoration Partners; Director, Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation
THERE ARE only thrTHERE ARE ee companies in the companies, too.
FTSE 100 that have a black director on A stalwart of the Square Mile, Ken is
their board, Ken Olisa fulfi ls that role for a Freeman of the City of London, and a
two of them. He is a Director of Thomson- Liveryman and Warden of the Worshipful
Reuters, the $30bn corporation that is Company of Information Technologists. He
listed on the New York Stock Exchange, also represents information technologists
the Toronto Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq on the City’s Financial Services Group,
and the London Stock Exchange and which provides advice and guidance on
he is a director of the recently fl oated fi nancial services matters to the Lord
Eurasian Natural Resources Corporation, Mayor and Sheriffs.
a Kazakhstan-based mining company Somehow he also manages to fi t in a
that raised £1.4bn when it fl oated on the rather a large amount of charitable work
London Stock Exchange earlier this year. and he is Chairman of Thames Reach,
For his day job, Ken, a serial which aims to end street homelessness
entrepreneur and very well respected and which in the past year has secured
businessman, runs Restoration Partners, a grant of £4m for the construction of an
a boutique merchant bank he founded employment academy to educate and train
that specialises in technology, advising IT homeless people who want to fi nd work.
clients on both sides of the Atlantic. Articulate and extremely well spoken,
His other public company appointment Ken is also much in demand as a public
is on the board of the Canadian software speaker.
developer Open Text Corporation. He sits All of which leaves us wondering,
on the boards of several privately held ‘where does he get the time?’
7
RIO FERDINAND
Footballer, Manchester United and England
RIO FERDINAND makes our list as much for And he narrowly missed out on being named
how he plays the game off the fi eld as for permanent captain of England, where he is
his phenomenal accomplishments with his vice-captain.
football boots laced up. Rio, of St Lucian/Anglo-Irish heritage,
Hailing from the supposed badlands of has outgrown the ‘playboy’ straitjacket
Peckham, south-east London, Rio epitomises critics attempted to bind him in to forge a
the fable of local boy done good by way of reputation that is as close to statesman as a
prodigious talent married to application, multi-millionaire international football star
determination and self-belief. In 2003 can hope to aspire to. Arguably, after David
Southwark Council unveiled a blue plaque Beckham, he is Britain’s most infl uential
on the Friary council estate where he grew footballer.
up, above where he used to play football, to In April 2007 Tony Blair made him an
recognise his contribution. anti-gun and knives ambassador. He has
He has twice broken transfer fee records also been involved with the Damilola Taylor
to become the world’s most valuable Trust and anti-racism, Aids awareness
defender (£49m in total). In 2008 Rio and child literacy campaigns. His Live
achieved the distinction of being named The Dream Foundation, aims to establish
England captain for the fi rst time. For a series of centres in deprived areas to
much of last season, he was also captain mentor teenagers. And the truth is that
and backbone of the world’s biggest club, a troubled youngster is far more likely to
Manchester United, as they secured the listen to what Rio has to say than they are
coveted Dream Double of the English to any politician, which is, perhaps, where
Premiership and UEFA Champions League. his infl uence is at its most profound.
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