The Cornwall Power List is back for 2026 and it features some of the most influential and important people from a range of fields across Cornwall. The list shines a spotlight on royalty, landowners, business figures, tourism and education leaders, elected Members of Parliament, and many others.
We published our inaugural Power List nearly 10 years ago, and a lot has changed in Cornwall since then. As always, the list raises the question of how you define power. Is power based on financial success alone? Is it cultural, artistic, or religious? Is it purely the bottom line, how many staff you employ, and how much money your company has made? Or does it go deeper than that?
Here is our 2017 Power list. Every one of the top 30 powerful or influential people on this list is there because they proudly represent Cornwall on the national and international stages. You might not necessarily agree with our list, of course, so do get in touch to tell us who you think should be on it and who should be ditched.
Mark Hewson is leading Imerys in the UK and also leads the Imerys British Lithium group. He was the director of development at JV Eco-Bos, MD of Recycling & Recovery JV ReClaym, director of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, and director of Great Southwest Partnership. He has been in charge of Imerys UK, based in the Clay Country in Cornwall, since 2022. The global minerals company employs more than 1,000 people in Cornwall.
Smon Gillett is the founder and group CEO of Balaena, which has headquarters in Gibraltar and Delabole in Cornwall. In June, Balaena, the maritime engineering and shipbuilding group that owns the historic drydock and dockyard facility in Gibraltar, Gibdock, and a shipyard in Padstow, Cornwall, announced the acquisition of APCL Group, a leading British marine engineering company operating shipyards in Tyneside (A&P Tyne), Birkenhead (Cammell Laird), and Falmouth (A&P Falmouth and Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company).
Anna Gelderd was educated at the University of Bristol and has a masters degree from Murray Edwards College, Cambridge. Following graduation, she worked as a parliamentary assistant to the Labour MP Tony Cunningham and then as an advisor and advocacy professional for Oxfam, the RNLI, and the Marine Conservation Society. Prior to being elected to Parliament, she was employed as a senior advisor to the non-profit ocean conservation group Oceana.
Stuart Reid is the managing director of the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group. He joined the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group as chief financial officer in July 2013 and was appointed as a board director in June 2015. Originally from Mullion on the Lizard Peninsula, Stuart graduated from Cardiff University with a degree in pharmacology and toxicology and then qualified as a chartered accountant in 2007. He has previously worked as financial controller at Smart Solutions Recruitment, one of Wales' fastest growing companies. During his tenure, he has overseen the new Scillonian IV project. However, after 13 years with the Isles of Scilly Steamship Group, including seven years as CEO, Stuart Reid tendered his resignation to take up a new role in the transport sector. His last day will be February 16, 2027.
Cornwall Power List 2026 Reveals Most Influential People