Published: October 3, 2025 at 4:00 pm
I genuinely love the North.
I might be an adopted Northerner but I’ve made the North my home for nearly 20 years.
Today BusinessCloud is publishing the 2025 Northern Leaders list to shine a light on more than 200 of the people who make the North a better place by their actions.
This year’s list includes 74 new names from the North West, North East and Yorkshire & Humberside and includes figures from the world of business, charity, sport, property, politics, philanthropy and TV.
We’ll be showcasing some of them at our awards dinner on 20th November at KPMG’s Manchester offices.
I will never forget the moment from the inaugural dinner when former England and Manchester City captain Steph Houghton MBE walked away with the Northern Leaders Overall Award.
The presentation was made by Jonathan Bernstein, son of former Manchester City Council chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein, who inspired Northern Leaders.
I’m hugely grateful to KPMG for hosting our awards dinner and to our headline sponsor OBI, alongside law firm CG, GM Business Growth Hub, Rochdale Development Agency, insurance giant Lockton and J.P. Morgan Private Bank
I’m proud to live in the North – now more than ever.