The Manufacturer magazine set about finding the 50 most influential people in the UK manufacturing community. The magazine asked their readers and visitors to their website to name 50 individuals they believe exert a significant positive influence on British manufacturing, and work to ensure its well-being against the background of a real-world, global economy.

The readers selected 150 manufacturing stars and Professor Mike Gregory, Head of the IfM, was nominated in the top 50 due to his extensive career in both industry and academia, as well as his service to a range of public bodies.