Changing times for the region
Aug 21 2009 By Andrew Hebden, The Journal
A YEAR ago, when we announced that The Journal was to publish a list of some 500 names of the most influential people in the North East, there were a few sceptical voices raised: “Are there really 500 influential people in the North East?”
As it happened, there were. This year, the same sceptical people (no names, you understand) were at it again. There was some doubt about how different this year’s list would be from last year’s – and it was a question that we asked ourselves.
During the research for this supplement, it transpired that a lot does change in a year, and not just in politics (although if we do repeat the exercise in 2010, there are going to be a lot of new MPs to feature given the army of them retiring at the forthcoming election).
One notable difference in this year’s list is the absence of dozens of senior figures from the former district councils across Northumberland and County Durham which were swallowed up by the new unitary authorities in April.
There have been comings and goings in many sectors of business, too, with some really high-profile departures worthy of note. Two of our biggest plcs – Greggs and Eaga – have seen changes at the top with the respective departures of Sir Mike Darrington and John Clough. Northumbrian Water chief executive John Cuthbert will also leave next year.
Elsewhere in business, there is a new man at the helm of Northern Rock, Gary Hoffman, and there have been significant changes in the arts, too, where both the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead and the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art have new faces at the helm.
Two of our North East universities have appointed new chancellors over the course of the last 12 months, so we welcome Sir Liam Donaldson, of Newcastle University, and Steve Cram, at Sunderland. And there have been changes, too, in the world of sport, although the uncertainty at St James’s Park means that there’s a danger our early deadline for this supplement may mean that we are out of date by the time it finally hits the streets. Meantime, there’s another chance to see the face of Mike Ashley for another year at least.
This being the second edition of the Most Influential, we have also had the chance to make amends for some of our oversights last year, for which we again apologise to those concerned. Again, we would stress that the profiles are by no means intended to be comprehensive – there simply isn’t space to include everything for many people – but we do hope that they give an indication of why each individual is worthy of their inclusion in the supplement.
Finally, to the changes in the format for 2009. To freshen things up further, we have split the list into categories according to sectors of life in the North East. Most people fit naturally into one particular category, but some people could easily sit in several so we have had to make a choice on which
we think is the most applicable area. There is also a section of “others” (for want of a much better term) at the end, and here we have a selection of some of the most influential people in the whole supplement, but who do not naturally sit in one of the other categories. You will find religious leaders, union officials and even a make-up artist hidden in here – so don’t miss it.
To help you find who you are looking for, there’s an index at the back. Another addition this year are the in-depth interviews by Alastair Gilmour featuring one individual from each category. They reveal some fascinating insights into what influence means to them.
Once again, we are indebted to the help of many individuals who have spared time to help us refine the list for 2009 – including some of the leading experts in their fields in the region and our own in-house specialists at The Journal. You might not agree with their selections, but I hope you’ll agree, they have helped compile an interesting group of people who - to a greater or lesser extent – extend an influence over the North East today.
