Thirty of Leeds and West Yorkshire’s most talented young professionals have been recognised in the prestigious Top 30 Under 30 programme, with the class of 2025 officially announced today. Now in its second year in the region, the initiative is designed to celebrate rising business talent while equipping them with vital leadership skills for the future.
Following a hugely successful inaugural year in 2024, the programme continues its mission to inspire the next generation of business leaders. The 2025 cohort will embark on a 12-month journey through the Leadership Excellence Acceleration Programme (LEAP), a structured training process that hones their leadership abilities while allowing businesses to invest in their future talent. The year-long experience will culminate in a prestigious awards ceremony, celebrating the participants’ growth and achievements.
Simon Jones, founder of Top 30 Under 30, said: “I am proud to announce this year’s winners, and our class of 2025. Today is about recognising and celebrating the contribution of the region’s best young people. This group have made a significant difference to their organisations, to their teams, to the local business community and it is an honour to showcase who they are, and what they have contributed.”
Originally launched in the Hull and Humber region in 2017, the programme has since propelled 35 winners into director roles, 14 into ‘heads of’ positions, three into ‘group’ roles, and has supported 73 new managers. With industry experts leading the training in leadership, self-development and communication, the initiative provides a unique opportunity for winners to enhance their professional skills in a dynamic and supportive environment.
Luke Brewin, Director of Operations at Force24 and a 2024 participant, spoke of the profound impact the programme had on his career. “Winning the Top 30 Under 30 award and completing the leadership programme has genuinely reshaped my perspective, both professionally and personally. The chance to connect, learn and share openly with peers who were navigating similar career stages was invaluable. Being in your twenties often means dealing with significant differences in professional trajectories, ambitions, and personal growth, which can feel isolating at times. The programme created a rare environment where candid conversations with like-minded people became not only possible but genuinely enjoyable,” he said.
Reflecting on the programme’s wider impact, Simon added: “By delivering Top 30 Under 30s, we create an evidence-based narrative that helps shift the often common perception that you need to leave the area to climb the career ladder, whereas in fact there are jobs, careers and progressive opportunities worth staying for.”
The 2025 edition has seen a significant number of businesses nominate their rising stars, with companies such as Channel 4, KPMG, Balfour Beatty and ADM among those represented. Simon said: “We’ve been overwhelmed with the interest we’ve had from businesses, and I’m looking forward to working with our winners to develop their skillset. For most young people, they start a role, and as they progress and become good at doing that particular job, they may get asked to lead other people doing the same or similar role. Because of their ambition, they say yes to this, and eventually step into a supervisory, managerial or leadership capacity without realising the need to adopt a completely different skillset to the one they’d originally developed.
“This overnight manager effect stifles the growth of the individual, the team and the organisation, and this is where our programme comes in. We provide the foundation of skills and self-awareness for these young people to accelerate their leadership understanding and make them more effective in their new leadership roles. Having taken winners through this experience over the last six years, we know that organisations are now recognising how important their young talent is to their long-term future and prospects.
“We are upskilling and mobilising Leeds & West Yorkshire’s future leaders, and I can’t wait to take this year’s winners on that journey.”
With an exciting year ahead, the class of 2025 is set to gain invaluable insights and skills, while shining a light on the outstanding young talent that makes Leeds and West Yorkshire a thriving hub for business innovation
