Marcus Rashford is selected alongside Lenny Henry, Sir Judith White and Sir Sharon White in a list of the most respected people of African, African Caribbean and African American heritage in the UK.
Forterro, a European provider of ERP software solutions to nearly 8,000 midmarket manufacturing and production companies, is proud to announce that the CEO Dean Forbes has been named as one of the most influential black people in The Powerlist 2022 by Powerful Media.
It is the second year that Forbes has been on the annual list which recognises the most powerful people of African, African Caribbean and African American heritage in Britain across a variety of industries including business, politics, technology and science.
Across his 20 years of career Forbes has successfully turned several ailing tech firms into success stories for founders and investors by adding $1 billion to their exit values. This makes him one of few CEOs in Europe to have delivered high value-growth consistently, across multiple transactions.
In March this year forterro was named CEO of Forbes. In this new role he is responsible on behalf of the company's 1,200 employees and primary investor Battery Ventures for all aspects of the company s growth. He is the driving force behind a programme of acquisitions and dynamic internal transformations.
The Powerlist judges also recognised Forbes for his philanthropic work. His foundation, Forbes Family Group FFG, provides investment and development support to young people and entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds. This year, in response to the pandemic, it ramped up its efforts to support local organisations in South East London.
In June, FFG announced a two-year sponsorship deal with Ten Em Bee, an American grassroots football club and community centre who has supported thousands of young people in Lewisham and is best known for nurturing the talent of former England and Arsenal star Ian Wright.
The partnership means the club could open its doors in the holidays to provide care and support to children of low-income families. FFG has also invested in a single parent, helping her create her own food businesses.
Speaking about his inclusion on Powerlist 2022, where he is listed alongside Marcus Rashford, Sir Lenny Henry and Dame Sharon White, Forbes said: I’m honoured to be named on this year's Powerlist and acknowledged alongside many others, many of whom I have been admired for years. I don t feel what I do is extraordinary, to me it is normal. Forbes has also been named in recent years among the UK s 50 greatest business leaders by The Daily Telegraph and Lloyds Banking Group. He has also joined the judging panel of the Business Champion Awards.
Having secured his first job in the IT industry in his late 20 s, Forbes had already gone on to play a major role in the national growth of US software company Primavera and was instrumental in its sale to Oracle. This led to CEO roles at KDS, a European travel and expense management software company, which was acquired by American Express in the largest technology acquisition deal Amex had ever closed at the time and then CoreHR, an Anglo Irish provider of cloud-based HR and payroll solutions, before it was acquired by The Access Group where he took over the role of President.
FFG has helped many young people move from difficult situations into education or promising careers and also donates meals, toiletries and baby clothes to parents in need. It also invests in a chain of not-for-profit pre- and after-school clubs which provides free childcare for parents facing financial hardship.
In addition, Forbes is also a trustee of the African Caribbean leukaemia trust in London.
The Powerlist, developed in partnership with J.P. Morgan and sponsored by PwC, Facebook, the Executive Leadership Council, The London Stock Exchange Group and MasterCard recognizes and celebrates influential black people in Britain. It has grown to become the most prestigious and definitive recognition of black achievement within the UK.
The list is decided by an independent panel chaired by former High Court Judge Linda Dobbs.