LinkedIn Top Voices 2016: The 15 must-know writers in the U.K.
There are more than 160,000 stories being published on LinkedIn every week, coming from three million unique writers across the globe — including, of course, here in the U.K. So which writers stood out in 2016?
For the first time, we’re releasing our LinkedIn Top Voices list in the U.K., a look at at the 21 Influencers and members whose words have launched countless high-quality conversations locally (and globally) on LinkedIn in the last year. We sifted through the data looking at a diverse set of factors, from engagement (particularly comments and shares) to follower growth, to find the U.K.'s strongest voices. These writers weighed in on everything from Brexit to business strategies, football (yes, really) to fintech, talking about the trends and issues affecting U.K. professionals.
Many had their eyes on the U.K.'s decision to leave the E.U., evaluating repercussions and paths forward for business. Others addressed continuing struggles with gender equality, the realities of living in an increasingly digital workplace (and whether robots are taking our jobs), and the little things that make a big difference in business.
So, behold, the top 15 member voices in the U.K. in 2016:
Matthew Syed | Columnist at The Times. Author of Bounce and Black Box Thinking. Keynote speaker.
What he writes about: Syed discusses “the psychology of high performance, how success really happens and how organisations can drive a culture of continuous improvement.”
The article he’s most proud of: Syed’s favourite article implored readers to stop holding brainstorming sessions. Instead, he offered “a very practical way of thinking about innovation” and some inspiring case studies.
One thing that isn’t on his LinkedIn profile: The former international table tennis champion has “a fiendishly good forehand slice.”
Keith Weed | Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Unilever
What he writes about: “I focus on marketing, digital marketing and sustainable business topics, both from within Unilever and the wider industry.”
The article he’s most proud of: Weed gave readers an inside look into his decision to disband Unilever’s Corporate Social Responsibility department — and instead blend sustainability into every part of the company. CSR isn’t something to be siloed, he says: “It’s a topic that we all need to be engaged with.”
The story he found most interesting in 2016: “One story that intrigued me was that of the Rosetta spaceship, which after 12 years in space was deliberately crashed into the comet it had been following and shut down. It's a story about the absolute magic of creativity and imagination working hand in hand with data and logic, and I found it fascinating.”
Danielle Newnham | Founder, The Junto Network
What she writes about: “The untold back-stories of inspirational tech founders and innovators.”
The article she’s most proud of: Newnham is most proud of “What Startups Really Need,” about the journey that led her to start a new company. “It is not always easy to tell your own story, when you are used to telling others,” she says.
Where she does her best writing: “Where the only noise is the sound of the sea.”
Click here to follow Danielle.
Tim Mulligan | Senior Analyst, Video at MIDiA Research
What he writes about: “The intersection of tech and media and video's place within that rapidly evolving dynamic.” He's written about the death of Vine and the future of short-form video; Amazon’s moves to better compete with Netflix; YouTube's struggles to add premium subscribers; and social media’s role in hosting sports programming.
Article he’s most proud of: "Why Spotify Is Getting Into Video,” published in January. The piece helped to promote his prediction “that 2016 was the year that video was going to dominate all digital media content platforms — which has since come to pass with a doubling of short-form video views in 2016, and moves into video by new non-video native entrants such as Apple Music,” he says.
His pick for most-interesting story of 2016: “Facebook misreporting its core video metrics because it highlights the challenges of transitioning from the traditional linear world of verified (albeit cosy) third-party ratings of one of dependency on tech distribution partners with a stated desire not to be identified as media companies.”
Duena Blomstrom | FinTech Analyst and Founder of Emotional Banking, Duena Blomstrom Consulting
What she writes about: Blomstrom, a consultant, wants banks and other financial services companies to become beloved brands and really think about the customer. She’s urged bankers to “shake the lip service, the convoluted meaningless language, the excuses about too much legacy or too little funding,” and to make real change to improve customers’ experiences.
Her most popular article of 2016: “Goodbye, Santander. The end of a banking love affair,” her must-read, first-person account of traveling and encountering multiple problems with Santander. “While I expect people to respond to passion and accurate observations on frustrating experiences,” she says, “the viral aspect of it for a niche industry such as fintech ... took me by surprise.”
How she comes up with ideas: “I can't write about anything I don't feel strongly about, so most of my pieces are very emotional and fuelled by either hope, excitement or, sadly too often, intense frustration about the way technology lets us interact with our money through the bank.”
Mark Gregory | EY Chief Economist, UK & Ireland
What he writes about: “My aim is to make economics accessible to business and public sector leaders,” Gregory says. The economist demystifies trends and events, from Brexit and the Autumn Statement to the price of Premier League tickets.
The article he’s most proud of: “It is normally assumed that digital is a force for good, driving beneficial change in the economy, but are we sure?” In his favorite article, Gregory digs into digital disruption and theorizes about its connection to low productivity.
The story he’d expected to be big in 2016 — but wasn’t: “I expected more stress in the emerging markets, but this got lost in the noise of change in the developed world.”
Yuval Atsmon | Senior Partner at McKinsey and Company
What he writes about: "I write about improving business and leadership decisions to drive better corporate performance and value creation.”
The article he’s most proud of: “What Unicorns Can Learn From Dinosaurs,” because “it reverses what most people write about — what to copy from start-ups into big companies.”
The stories he watched in 2016: "I thought I'd say Brexit but certainly it's impossible not to pick the U.S. election and the unprecedented campaign. In business, the pharma pricing stories and rise and fall of Theranos and the accelerating impact of technology — from the first Amazon drone experiments to the unbelievable pre-order of Tesla’s future car."
Sharon O'Dea | Digital Engagement Lead, Department for International Trade
What she writes about: “I (mostly) write about the intersection of technology, social media and culture, particularly within companies. I consider how trends in external digital engagement can be translated to the enterprise, on intranets and enterprise social networks.”
The article she’s most proud of: Her unique take on Mary Meeker’s annual Internet trends report. “I managed to have a different take on the report to many others I'd read, thinking about how the trends she'd spotted could apply inside companies,” O’Dea says.
The story she thought would be big in 2016 — but wasn’t: “Wearable tech. I thought this year would really go mainstream, but it's been something of a damp squib.”
Steve Blakeman | Managing Director - Global Accounts, OMD
What he writes about: Blakeman’s articles cover a wide variety of topics, “from cycling to social media and emojis in marketing to EQ skills,” he says. “I work on the principle that if I find the subject intriguing then there should be at least a few others out there that will feel the same way.”
The article he’s most proud of: A January piece about business phrases prompted him to write a book on the subject. His piece got the attention of fellow writer Mike Adams, who said it would make a great book topic — Blakeman agreed. “In August we wrote an article called 'Which Business Bull**t Phrases Annoy You The Most?' to crowdsource idioms for the book,” he explained to LinkedIn. “That article did over 76,000 views and we had over 4,000 suggestions for the book. We are still wading through them, but it should be published around March next year.”
Something that isn’t on his LinkedIn profile: “I was once in a rock band and thought I was the UK's answer to Jon Bon Jovi. The only problem was, no one had ever asked the question…”
Philippe Botteri | Partner, Accel
What he writes about: The tech ecosystem in Europe, technology trends (in particular SaaS and Software) and advice to entrepreneurs with a focus on international expansion.
The article he's most proud of: A deep dive into Europe’s growing SaaS ecosystem. “It was the first in-depth analysis of the growth of the SaaS ecosystem in Europe backed by a deep analysis of 1,000+ start-ups,” says Botteri. “It was very well-received by the community and the Top 100 list generated a lot of buzz, with some companies issuing specific PR on it.”
The trend he’s watching closely in 2017: “How artificial intelligence and machine learning will generate new applications for consumers and enterprise.”
Click here to follow Philippe.
Alison Kay | Global Vice Chair - Industry, EY
What she writes about: “We are witnessing a technological revolution on the scale of the Industrial Revolution, with far-reaching consequences that will touch all of us,” Kay says. “I explore how businesses and leaders should respond — and what it takes to lead in the Digital Age.”
The article she’s most proud of: “Why established players need to rediscover their inner entrepreneur.” Kay says of the piece: “Business size doesn’t have to be a limitation. Lack of curiosity and not being willing to invest in the future — those are the limitations.”
The trends she’s watching in 2017: “I’m really interested in the future of health and how technology will continue to transform this industry. Gender parity has got to be on the agenda in 2017, especially given the WEF recently reported it could take 170 years — the better part of two centuries — before we see economic parity between men and women.”
Leandro Herrero | CEO, Chief Organization Architect — The Chalfont Project & Viral Change LLP
What he writes about: “At work, my focus is on creating Remarkable Organizations, and my writing reflects this. I write about organizational culture and strategy, leadership and large scale change in organizations and society.”
The article he’s most proud of: "I’m not scared of a bit of controversy,” he says. “The pieces I’m most proud of are the ones that have generated the most ‘noise,’ be it in support of or against my opinion.” Some examples: the trouble with teams, what anthropology can teach us about inefficient processes, and why "romancing Chronos" is a manager's best skill.
How he measures success with writing: “I want to encourage people to think differently, to be provoked by my writing to try something new, or to look at things in a new way. So any piece that generates discussion, is shared amongst peers or encourages people to ask me questions is a success in my eyes.”
John Stepek | Editor, MoneyWeek
What he writes about: Stepek, an editor at MoneyWeek for more than 11 years, covers the headlining financial topics shaping our lives with unique insights that just might change how you think about your money. He’s covered topics like the possible death knell of passive investing, an analysis of UK home prices (and if they may crash) and why you may consider buying a bond with a negative interest rate.
His standout article this year: “The Brexit battle is the latest side effect of the financial crisis,” an analysis of how Brexit became the phenomenon that it was and the global rise of populism.
Why he says the financial crisis is causing political upheaval across the globe: “And if there’s one thing people can’t stand, it’s insecurity. We spend most of our lives trying to get away from it. It’s the main reason why it’s so hard to change someone’s mind on views that fundamentally matter to them,” he wrote. “... When someone comes along and offers a way to feel better about things, or to at least ditch the old system that’s making us feel uncomfortable — well, we’ll give them a fair hearing at least.”
Julia JH Park | Research Student, University of Oxford
What she writes about: Park, who is finishing a master’s degree in international and comparative education, writes about issues around diversity, education and psychology. She’s covered touchy subjects like if it’s OK to ask someone what kind of Asian they are and thought-provoking topics like the bright side of pessimism.
Her standout article this year: “What Does Brexit Mean for International Students?” Park explained the basics about the market-shaking event and how it could affect foreign students studying in the U.K.
Why optimism isn't all it's cracked up to be: "No problem can search for a solution without being acknowledged as a problem first," she wrote. "But in our thirst for ‘good vibes’ and ‘positive energy,’ we could be branding acute observers as Debbie Downers or Willy Whiners."
Zoe Sands | Social Media and Enablement Lead - EMEA, Veritas Technologies
What she writes about: Sands has worked with some of the world’s biggest brands for 20 years to launch digital marketing campaigns that captivate and engage. She’s spreading that experience on LinkedIn, offering insights into the value of visual marketing, how the Internet has evolved and how Twitter changes offer new (and better) marketing options for businesses.
Her standout article this year: “What important things should we drive in Marketing during 2017?” Sands outlines the biggest trends that will shape how brands and business reach their customers next year.
Why 2017 is the year of P2P for marketers: “During 2017 should we finally get rid of the B2B and B2C categories? Personally I think we should banish those terms to Room 101,” she wrote. “After all we are all consumers, marketing is marketing not a category and is all about People to People (P2P). The only differentiator is the buying journey. Decision makers are just like us; they are on the digital and social channels. Marketers need to be more digitally and socially savvy.”
Sheltered Housing Officer at WCAC
7 年Thank you Katie - this is really useful. Most of the Influencers that LinkedIn recommends for me are based in the US.
Private Executive Assistant / Consultant
8 年Hi Katie, Thank you so much for writing this post. I was looking for UK based influencers to follow on LinkedIn and you have given me gold! I'm looking to up my game on LinkedIn this year and will build these writers into my strategy. May I ask what part of creating this list did you enjoy the most? Thanks again, Sophia
1:1 Online Pilates & Nutrition
8 年Melissa Priest this was the post I was on about!
Invest in small opportunities
8 年Love it! Next year top ten Zoe!
Independent Membership Professional and former Head of Professional Affairs at Energy Institute
8 年Not possible to follow Sharon O'Dea