The Tyto Tech 500 Power List has been published for 2018, and for the first time, we can reveal the 30 most influential people in UK RetailTech.
In a year where many high street retailers have faced serious financial troubles and with a number of high-profile companies going bust, you’d be forgiven to think that these businesses should be promoting innovation and embracing new technology. Retailers are being forced to respond to changing customer shopping habits to help save their business.
However, no heritage retailers feature in the top 30 ranking of the most influential people in RetailTech. This doesn’t mean they’re not focused on innovation, but individuals at these brands are failing to impact the RetailTech discussion, nor influence the sector. This has a wider reputational impact for companies looking to pivot and shrug off outdated perceptions.
Individuals from digital-first retailers such as ASOS, Farfetch and Thread do feature in the rankings, however they aren’t dominating, with these people in position 19 or lower. In comparison, Elizabeth Clark, founder and CEO of RetailTech businesses, Dream Agility, features 4th in the list, ahead of individuals at Drapers and the British Retail Consortium. This mirrors what we’ve seen in our full Tech 500 ranking, where only 13 representatives from FTSE100 companies featured, highlighting that resource isn’t a proxy for influence.
The RetailTech ranking also illustrates gender imbalance in the sector, with women making up 40% of the top 30. Although we’re yet to reach gender parity, we should celebrate the fact that all the top 12 influencers listed are female. The retail sector has historically been berated for the lack of opportunities for females in senior positions. Although this ranking doesn’t reflect seniority, it’s refreshing to see females leading the charge in the UK RetailTech sector.
The RetailTech 30
| 1 | Mary Portas – Retail Consultant |
| 2 | Ashley Armstrong – The Daily Telegraph |
| 3 | Fiona Briggs – Retail Times |
| 4 | Elizabeth Clark – Dream Agility |
| 5 | Natalie Berg – NBK Retail |
| 6 | Maureen Hinton – GlobalData Retail |
| 7 | Rebecca Thomson – Drapers |
| 8 | Helen Dickinson – British Retail Consortium |
| 9 | Caroline Baldwin – Essential Retail |
| 10 | Cathy Parker – Institute of Place Management |
| 11 | Diane Wehrle – Springboard Research |
| 12 | Natalie Massenet – Imaginary Ventures |
| 13 | Cally Russell – Mallzee |
| 14 | Andrew Busby – Retail Reflections |
| 15 | Graham Soult – CannyInsights.com |
| 16 | Roger Wade – Boxpark |
| 17 | George MacDonald – Retail Week |
| 18 | Steve Dresser – Grocery Insight |
| 19 | Nick Beighton – ASOS |
| 20 | Bryan Roberts – TCC Global |
| 21 | Chris Brook-Carter – Retail Week |
| 22 | Ian Middleton – Argenteus Jewellery Ltd |
| 23 | Kieran O’Neill – Thread |
| 24 | Jose Neves – Farfetch.com |
| 25 | Matthew Bradley – RBTE |
| 26 | Ben Sillitoe – Sillitoe Media |
| 27 | Nick Bubb – Retail Consultant |
| 28 | Alan Hawkins – BIRA |
| 29 | Ian Jindal – InternetRetailing |
| 30 | Andrea Trocino – ASOS |
Download the Tyto Tech 500 Power List to read the full report