LinkedIn is an invaluable social media platform for business networking and connecting with professionals in your industry. With over 46 million users in the UK, LinkedIn offers ample opportunities to build your network, enhance your personal brand, and stay up to date on trends and news relevant to your career goals.
However, with so many users, it can be overwhelming to know where to start and who to follow. Following relevant and engaging thought leaders, experts, and influencers in your field is crucial for expanding your knowledge, gaining new perspectives, and identifying potential mentors and collaborators.
How to identify the right people to follow
When deciding who to follow on LinkedIn, consider individuals who:
- Work in your industry or a related field
- Hold positions you aspire to someday
- Work for companies you want to learn more about
- Regularly post interesting and useful content
- Are active in relevant LinkedIn groups and discussions
- Have large networks and interact with many professionals in your space
Look for thought leaders who frequently share advice, individuals at innovative companies, and experts with extensive experience to learn from. Follow award winners, authors, prominent founders and executives, academics, and successful entrepreneurs as well.
Top UK professionals to follow on LinkedIn
To help you identify relevant professionals to follow, here is a list of some of the top influencers, leaders, and experts across various industries based in the UK and sharing helpful content on LinkedIn:
Name | Title | Company | Industry |
---|---|---|---|
Richard Branson | Founder | Virgin Group | Business |
Dame Stephanie Shirley | IT Entrepreneur & Philanthropist | FI Group | Technology |
Philip Green | Chairman | Arcadia Group | Retail |
Baroness Martha Lane Fox | Founder & Chairperson | DOTEveryone | Technology |
Cindy Rose | UK CEO | Microsoft | Technology |
Sophie Lord | MD Magazines UK | Conde Nast | Media |
Nigel Wilson | CEO | Legal & General | Financial Services |
Helena Morrissey | Head of Personal Investing | Legal & General Investment Management | Financial Services |
Andy Haldane | Chief Economist | Bank of England | Banking |
Anne Richards | CEO | Fidelity International | Financial Services |
This table highlights just a fraction of the business leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals sharing valuable content on LinkedIn in the UK. Expand your network by following these individuals and exploring who they engage with as well.
Industry-specific professionals to follow
In addition to the high-profile, cross-industry thought leaders above, make sure to follow professionals specific to your field. Here are some recommendations for top UK voices to follow on LinkedIn across different sectors:
Marketing & Advertising
- Rory Sutherland – Vice Chairman, Ogilvy Group UK
- Gail Gallie – Co-Founder, AAR
- Mark Ritson – Adjunct Professor, Melbourne Business School
- Sarah Warby – CEO & Founder, United Marketing
- Hayley Smith – Client Strategy Director, MediaCom UK
Technology & Engineering
- Mike Lynch – Founder, Invoke Capital
- Hermann Hauser – Co-Founder, Amadeus Capital Partners
- Wendy Hall – Regius Professor of Computer Science, University of Southampton
- Cheryl Miller Van Dÿck – Founder, Digital Leadership Institute
- Sherry Coutu – Founder, Founders4Schools
Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
- Pascal Soriot – CEO, AstraZeneca
- Emma Walmsley – CEO, GlaxoSmithKline
- David Meek – CEO, Ipsen
- Deborah DiSanzo – CEO, Philips
- Global Health Leaders – Company focusing on healthcare industry news
Education
- Lord David Puttnam – Chancellor, Open University
- Sir Anthony Seldon – Vice-Chancellor, University of Buckingham
- Wendy Piatt – Director General, Russell Group
- Jo Grady – General Secretary, University and College Union
- National Union of Students – Organization for students unions
Construction & Real Estate
- Tony Pidgley – Chairman, Berkeley Group Holdings
- John Tutte – Group Chief Executive, Redrow
- Jules Pipe – Deputy Mayor for Planning, Greater London Authority
- Kate Davies – Executive Director, Notting Hill Genesis
- Simon Rawlinson – Head of Strategic Research, Arcadis UK
Government & Public Sector
- Sadiq Khan – Mayor of London
- Andy Burnham – Mayor of Greater Manchester
- Steve Rotheram – Mayor of Liverpool City Region
- Dan Jarvis – Mayor of South Yorkshire
- Joanne Roney – Chief Executive, Manchester City Council
Follow leaders in government agencies, think tanks, nonprofits, and other public sector organizations relevant to your work as well.
Law
- Andrew Walker QC – Chairman, Serious Fraud Office
- Baroness Scotland – Secretary General, Commonwealth of Nations
- Professor Richard Susskind – Author & Speaker on the Future of Law
- Stephanie Boyce – President, Law Society of England and Wales
- Dame Linda Dobbs – High Court Judge
In the legal industry, look for ministers of justice, attorneys general, law firm partners, general counsels, barristers, academics, and more to follow.
Consulting & Professional Services
- Nicola Mendelsohn – Vice President EMEA, Facebook
- Omid Ashtari – Head of Digital & CEO, Kantar
- Lynne Doughtie – UK Chairman, KPMG
- Tom Ilube – CEO, Crossword Cybersecurity plc
- Tera Allas – Director of Research & Economics, McKinsey & Company
Follow leaders at top consultancies sharing business insights relevant to your work.
Consumer Goods
- Alan Jope – CEO, Unilever
- Markus Pinger – President UK & Ireland, L’Oréal
- Fiona Dawson – Global President for Mars Food, Drinks and Multisales
- Adrian Morris – VP Northern Europe, Mondelēz International
- Priya Nair – Executive Director, Hindustan Unilever Ltd.
For CPG and FMCG, look for executives at major manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in your target product segments.
Media & Entertainment
- Carolyn McCall – CEO, ITV
- Tim Davie – Director General, BBC
- Alex Mahon – CEO, Channel 4
- Paul Dugdale – Film & TV Director
- Caroline Thomson – Former Chief Operating Officer, BBC
Follow studio heads, directors, producers, agents, journalists, editors, and other media personalities sharing unique perspectives.
Sports & Fitness
- Richard Masters – Chief Executive, Premier League
- Jon Dutton – Chief Executive, Rugby League World Cup 2021
- Nigel Huddleston – Sports Minister, UK Government
- Tanni Grey-Thompson – Paralympian & Member of House of Lords
- Matt Roberts – Celebrity Fitness Trainer
In sports, consider team owners, league commissioners, top athletes, coaches, journalists, and fitness experts worth following.
Hospitality
- Will Beckett – Co-Founder, Hawksmoor
- Des Gunewardena – CEO, D&D London
- Rainer Becker – Founder, Yo! Sushi
- Mark Garner – UK Managing Director, Deliveroo
- Kate Nicholls – CEO, UKHospitality
For hospitality and travel, look for restauranteurs, hoteliers, airline executives, tourism officials, and industry association leaders to follow.
Following companies and organizations
In addition to following relevant individuals, also pay attention to notable companies, brands, nonprofits, government agencies, trade associations, and other organizations in your industry by following their LinkedIn company pages.
This allows you to keep up with company updates, job openings, industry news and research published, events, campaigns, and other activities. Some great UK-based organizations to follow include:
- Confederation of British Industry
- Institute of Directors
- London Stock Exchange Group
- Advertising Association
- Tech Nation
- Great British Chefs
- Made in Britain
- Creative Industries Federation
- Healthcare UK
- EngineeringUK
Follow companies in your target industry as well, especially if you hope to work for them one day. This could include large corporations, exciting startups and scale-ups, well-funded private companies, or innovative agencies and firms.
Tips for successfully following professionals on LinkedIn
Here are some tips to get the most out of following industry leaders, experts, and professionals on LinkedIn:
- Curate your feed. Be selective about who you follow to ensure high-quality content. Avoid spam and self-promotion.
- Engage with posts. Like, comment on, and share posts to build relationships with the professionals you follow.
- Join relevant groups. Look for active groups focused on your location, industry, job function, interests, university, and more.
- Follow back. When relevant experts and leaders follow you, make sure to follow them back.
- Send connection requests. Connect directly with professionals you find helpful and inspiring.
- Give back. Share your own useful perspectives, advice, articles, and resources as well.
- Stay on top of news. Use your feed to monitor trends and happenings in your field.
- Find job openings. Follow companies you’re interested in working for to see their latest opportunities.
- Watch videos and presentations. Take advantage of LinkedIn Learning courses and educational content.
- Message connections. Directly reach out to your network with specific questions and requests for guidance.
Following the right voices on LinkedIn takes your professional branding, networking, and learning to the next level. Take the time to research and identify relevant individuals and organizations so your feed delivers helpful insights tailored for your career.
Conclusion
With its unparalleled access to professionals across every industry, LinkedIn is the premier social media platform for building connections and expanding your knowledge. Following a diverse mix of industry leaders, experts, influencers, and professionals relevant to your aspirations provides invaluable visibility into news, ideas, best practices, and opportunities in your field.
Research and curate your list of profiles and company pages to follow based on your specific interests and goals. Engage regularly with high-quality posts from the thought leaders and organizations you follow. Participate in relevant LinkedIn groups as well.
Following the right connections transforms your LinkedIn feed into a personalized resource to help you achieve your next career objectives and continue advancing as a professional. The influencers and companies you follow offer insights that can spark your next big idea or pivot.