Financial Power List 2019
Following an eventful 2018, many challenges lie ahead for the accounting and finance sector, including Brexit, navigating cyber-security risks, efforts to improve the audit process, and preparations for Making Tax Digital and technology changes.
The Financial Power List ranks the people we believe will have significant influence on the direction of the industry over the next 12 months. From government, practice and business, these 50 individuals have the power to make an impact in 2019.
Ranking vs 2018
Name
#1
Theresa May
Prime Minister of the UK
Theresa May
About Theresa May
#2
Philip Hammond
Chancellor of the Exchequer
Philip Hammond
About Philip Hammond
#3
Brian Gilvary
Chair, The 100 Group and CFO at BP
Brian Gilvary
About Brian Gilvary
#4
Mark Carney
Governor of the Bank of England
Mark Carney
About Mark Carney
#5
Jon Thompson
CEO, HMRC
Jon Thompson
About Jon Thompson
#6
Jacky Wright
Chief Digital and Information Officer, HMRC
Jacky Wright
About Jacky Wright
#7
Paul Eagland
Managing Partner, BDO
Paul Eagland
About Paul Eagland
#8
David Sproul
Senior Partner and Chief Executive, Deloitte
David Sproul
About David Sproul
#9
Bill Michael
Chair, KPMG
Bill Michael
About Bill Michael
#11
Kevin Ellis
PwC Chair
Kevin Ellis
About Kevin Ellis
#12
Simon Gallagher
Managing Partner, Moore Stephens
Simon Gallagher
About Simon Gallagher
#13
Mel Stride
Financial Secretary to the Treasury and Paymaster General
Mel Stride
About Mel Stride
#14
Jeremy Boon
Analytics and Information Management Manager, Deloitte
Jeremy Boon
About Jeremy Boon
#15
Stephen Barclay
Brexit Secretary
Stephen Barclay
About Stephen Barclay
#16
Derek Mackay
Scottish Finance Minister
Derek Mackay
About Derek Mackay
#17
John McDonnell
Shadow Chancellor
John McDonnell
About John McDonnell
#18
Andrew Tyrie
Chair, Competition and Markets Authority
Andrew Tyrie
About Andrew Tyrie
#19
Michael Izza
CEO, ICAEW
Michael Izza
About Michael Izza
#21
David Gwilliam
CEO, RSM UK
David Gwilliam
About David Gwilliam
#22
Sir John Kingman
Chair of Legal & General
Sir John Kingman
About Sir John Kingman
#23
Nicky Morgan
Chair of Treasury Select Committee
Nicky Morgan
About Nicky Morgan
#24
Jean Stephens
CEO, RSM International
Jean Stephens
About Jean Stephens
#25
Steve Varley
Chair & Managing Partner, EY
Steve Varley
About Steve Varley
#26
Heather Self
Partner at Blick Rothenberg and Set Up Women in Tax
Heather Self
About Heather Self
#27
Paul Aplin
President, ICAEW
Paul Aplin
About Paul Aplin
#28
Kevin Stopps & David Cobbs
Co-Chief Executives, Smith & Williamson
Kevin Stopps & David Cobbs
About Kevin Stopps & David Cobbs
#29
Julie Adams
Mangaing Partner, Menzies
Julie Adams
About Julie Adams
#30
David Dunkley
CEO, Grant Thornton
David Dunkley
About David Dunkley
#31
Helen Brand OBE
Chair, ACCA
Helen Brand OBE
About Helen Brand OBE
#32
Mark Farrar
CEO, AAT
Mark Farrar
About Mark Farrar
#33
Phil Verity
UK Senior Partner, Mazars
Phil Verity
About Phil Verity
#34
Jayne Anne-Gadhia
Former CEO of Virgin Money
Jayne Anne-Gadhia
About Jayne Anne-Gadhia
#35
Brian Palmer
Tax Policy Expert at the AAT
Brian Palmer
About Brian Palmer
#36
Sir Winfried Bischoff
Chair, FRC
Sir Winfried Bischoff
About Sir Winfried Bischoff
#37
Andrew Harding
Chief Executive, Management Accounting PU at AICPA-CIMA
Andrew Harding
About Andrew Harding
#38
Les Burnett
Partner, PKF UK & Ireland
Les Burnett
About Les Burnett
#39
Melissa Geiger
Head of International Tax, KPMG
Melissa Geiger
About Melissa Geiger
#40
Susan Ball
Partner at Crowe & Board Member at CIOT
Susan Ball
About Susan Ball
#41
Donald Brydon
Chair of London Stock Exchange & the Sage Group
Donald Brydon
About Donald Brydon
#42
Amanda Digne-Malcom
Practice at ICAEW
Amanda Digne-Malcom
About Amanda Digne-Malcom
#43
Matthew Burton
Managing Partner, Saffery Champness
Matthew Burton
About Matthew Burton
#44
Simon Wolfson
CEO, Next Plc
Simon Wolfson
About Simon Wolfson
#45
Greg Clarke
Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Greg Clarke
About Greg Clarke
#46
Michael Davidson
Group Managing Partner, Haines Watts
Michael Davidson
About Michael Davidson
#47
Sarah Churchman OBE
Chief Inclusion, Community, and Wellbeing Officer at PwC
Sarah Churchman OBE
About Sarah Churchman OBE
#48
Bruce Cartwright
CEO, ICAS
Bruce Cartwright
About Bruce Cartwright
#49
Prem Sikka
Professor of Accounting, Sheffield University
Prem Sikka
About Prem Sikka
#50
Richard Murphy
Founder, Tax Research UK
Richard Murphy
About Richard Murphy
Related Content
Why AI Readiness Now Signals Firm Value
Accounting Firms
Why AI Readiness Now Signals Firm Value
21h
Why AI Readiness Now Signals Firm Value
Many UK firms are stuck in "AI pilot mode," hampered by legacy systems and partner-owned silos. Marc McNicholl (Intapp) explains why a single source o...
View
Vistry and the FRC: When a "forecast" becomes a personal career risk
FRC
Vistry and the FRC: When a "forecast" becomes a personal career risk
2d
Vistry and the FRC: When a "forecast" becomes a pe...
The Vistry probe signals a shift in regulatory focus from the boardroom to the site office. We break down the £165m forecasting failure and provide a ...
View
AI won’t deliver ROI without emotional intelligence.
AI in Accounting
AI won’t deliver ROI without emotional intelligence.
3d
AI won’t deliver ROI without emotional intelligenc...
As AI reshapes professional services, the competitive edge will belong to firms that develop emotional intelligence alongside technical capability. Re...
View
First day event round up: Alternative Accountancy Management
Practice
First day event round up: Alternative Accountancy Management
4d
First day event round up: Alternative Accountancy ...
The first day of the 2026 Alternative Accountancy Management Summit proved that change is no longer optional. From the "war chest" of Private Equity t...
View
Protiviti’s blueprint for the AI-native accounting firm
AI in Accounting
Protiviti’s blueprint for the AI-native accounting firm
2w
Protiviti’s blueprint for the AI-native accounting...
As the UK accounting profession moves beyond the initial hype of generative AI, the conversation is shifting from "what can it do?" to "how do we rebu...
View
35 under 35: James Davenport On Inclusivity In The Accounting Profession
35 under 35
35 under 35: James Davenport On Inclusivity In The Accounting Profession
2w
35 under 35: James Davenport On Inclusivity In The...
For James Davenport, a partner at Moore Kingston Smith, professional success isn't a single moment but a state of equilibrium. From graduate trainee t...
View
UK audit reform may be shelved, but finance teams cannot afford to stand still
AI in Accounting
UK audit reform may be shelved, but finance teams cannot afford to stand st...
2w
UK audit reform may be shelved, but finance teams ...
The government’s decision to scrap audit reform removes legislative pressure, yet finance leaders still carry the responsibility to strengthen governa...
View
Don’t be deterred by a lack of hard data, says ACCA guidance on sustainability reporting
ACCA
Don’t be deterred by a lack of hard data, says ACCA guidance on sustainabil...
2w
Don’t be deterred by a lack of hard data, says ACC...
New report demonstrates how to use reasonable estimates as a practical way of creating decision-useful sustainability information. Read More...
ViewWhere did the overdraft go?
The traditional business overdraft has withered from an £18bn market to just £2.7bn. As high-street banks retreat, Allica Bank’s Sophie Hossack explai...
View
The empathy deficit: The ticking time bomb in AI implementation strategies
2026 Predictions
The empathy deficit: The ticking time bomb in AI implementation strategies
2w
The empathy deficit: The ticking time bomb in AI i...
Treating empathy as optional in AI implementation is a catastrophic business error, with the 'Empathy Deficit’ in day-to-day workflows coming at a hig...
View