What is influence? Unlike financial performance or political shifts, real influence can be difficult to measure. This is why so many efforts to identify and rank it end up focusing on the same group of people who hold particular offices. The FT’s inaugural Influence List attempts something trickier. We consulted with FT reporters, columnists and editors and asked them: who’s really made a difference this year?

The resulting list gathers people from the worlds of politics, business, media, the arts and sports, whose talent, discoveries, ideas and examples are transforming the world we live in. And we’ve invited the most high-profile people in their sectors, plus fans from different industries, to write about the nominees.

Some names on this list have cast long shadows in their fields; some are just starting out. Some have a global reach; others inspire their peers within close-knit circles. Some are household names and others exert influence away from the limelight. But for better or worse (and we leave it to you, readers, to decide) these 25 people are shaping the way we live today.