Wired Magazine announces its Wired 100

Wired Magazine UK has published its inaugural who's-who list of the key power brokers in the digital realm to celebrate its one-year anniversary. The new list covers who the people are who shape the world of technology? Which influencers can make or break a product launch or determine how people spend their leisure time?

The Wired list was compiled with the suggestions and insight of 120 anonymous experts across the digital spectrum, in order to arrive at this selection of the best of the best behind internet based companies, digital business strategies, communication, music and social networking.

Topping the list is Google UK CEO Matt Brittin, who led the British arm of the search behemoth through troubles such as monopoly allegations and the controversial launch of Google Buzz to company-wide profits of £15.9 billion. Other tech heavyweights in the fray of the top ten include Pascal Cagni, vice president of Apple EMEA, at number three; Ashley Highfield, managing director of Microsoft UK at number nine; and Spotify CEO Daniel Ek rounding out the top tier after revolutionising the way music is listened to online with the company's ad-sponsored service.

A number of independent entries appear as well, with venture capitalists Saul Klein and Bernard Liautaud landing at numbers two and eight, with Klein propping up successful web ventures Skype and Lovefilm, and Liautaud netting £4.5 billion for the sale of his software company, Business Objects, in 2008. Partially due to his 1.2 million Twitter followers, actor and commentator Stephen Fry finishes at number seven on the list.

Newsmen James Murdoch and Erik Huggers go neck-and-neck at positions four and five, with Murdoch's News Corporation challenging Huggers' BBC site for market share in online news. Politicians also make a splash in the top rung, as the coordinator of the Conservative Party's digital political machine Rishi Saha reaches number six.

However, the entire list of 100 is filled with movers and shakers in the digital realm. Notably making the number 20 spot is Alex Balfour, head of new media for the London 2012 Olympics. With preparations for the Summer 2012 games well underway, and construction on London’s Olympic Park in progress, Balfour, cofounder of cricinfo.com, has promised to deliver the most digitally-integrated Olympic games yet, harnessing mobile social engagement on a massive scale.

Additional categories highlight the top ten companies, cultural forces and companies bubbling under. Promoting us to think practically and approach new paradigms of complexity, the nominees are inventive and courageous, and they are all changing digital Britain in their own ways.

The Wired 100 appears in the May issue of Wired.

About Wired:
Wired UK was awarded the BSME Launch of the Year 2009, with the Condé Nast circulation department being awarded the Association of Circulation Executives Award for Launch of the Year and Most Effective Promotional Campaign. Wired delivers technology news and technology reviews with insight into the future technology and business, science, entertainment, education, culture and politics, continually highlighting the role technology plays at the heart of the world we live in today. Wired is published by Condé Nast, a division of Advance Publications, setting the benchmark for magazine publishing excellence. Condé Nast currently operates in 25 countries, publishing 126 magazines, and with 98 innovative websites from Condé Nast Digital. Other recent launches include GQ in China and Vogue in Turkey.

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