BusinessCloud’s founder Chris Maguire has been included in the 2025 Northern PoWEr Women Awards’ prestigious Advocacy List.
He’s one of 28 people to make the list, while organisers have also revealed the names of 26 female leaders on the Power List and the 50 emerging leaders on the Future List.
The Advocacy List has been created with the goal of showcasing male allies, leaders and influencers who believe in and actively drive gender equality and wider inclusivity.
The names have been revealed ahead of the ninth Northern PoWEr Women Awards, which take place on March 6th in front of 1,000 people at Manchester Central.
Described as Europe’s largest celebration of gender equality, the awards showcase exceptional role models across the North driving a fairer, more inclusive future.
The judges said Maguire had been chosen for the Advocacy List because of his ‘leadership in promoting gender equality and inclusivity within the tech and digital sectors’.
The judges added: “Through his impactful articles, mentorship, and advocacy, he has highlighted the barriers female founders face, particularly in securing investment. Chris continues to be a driving force in building a more inclusive and supportive tech community.”
Responding to his inclusion Maguire said: “It’s a real honour to be included in such a prestigious list. Creating a more inclusive world is in BusinessCloud’s DNA. It’s about doing the right thing. I’m honoured to be in such great company.”
Among the other people to make the Advocacy List are:
- Matt Carroll, managing director, Accenture;
- Chris Woodroofe, managing director, Manchester Airport;
- Steve Beharall, CEO of Newcastle United Foundation;
- Jon Dutton OBE, chief executive, British Cycling;
- Kashif Ashraf, Oldham President of Oldham President of GM Chamber of Commerce;
- Henri Murison, CEO of Northern Powerhouse Partnership; and
- Chris Stott, office senior partner for KPMG Manchester.
The other advocates on the list are: Adrian Adair; Adrian Jones; Amul Batra; Andrew Fotherby; Chris Rix; Colin Watt; Daniel Long; Andrew McAlpine; Danny Clarke; Danny Simpson; Gary Smithson; Ibrahim Mohamed; James Carss; Nathan Ross; Omar Akram; Patrick Fenner; Paul Ayre; Professor Christian Harrison; Ranvir Singh; and Wayne Bennett.
The 2025 Northern Power Women Awards has received a record-breaking 1,600 nominations across 12 award categories and three game-changer lists.
80+ judges selected the finalists, showcasing groundbreaking achievements across multiple sectors.
The Power List and Future List also recognised game-changers, including Katie Gallagher OBE, managing director of Manchester Digital; and Cath Cummings, Detective Chief Inspector of Merseyside Police.
The co-headline partners are Barclays and Bank of America. Other partners include Bentley Motors, Accenture, ASDA, BT Group, Castle Peak Group, Connected Places Catapult and Tetra Tech.
View the full list of finalists here