In terms of nationality, the USA has the largest representation on the "World" list, closely followed by India; while Germany (with three representatives) is just ahead of France (two) in the "Europe" list. Only one British name - Piers Lea - appears on the Europe list, suggesting that, although it provides the largest single market for corporate eLearning in Europe (some £472m a year), Britain's eLearning gurus don't - as yet - "travel well".

All three people who topped the lists in 2010 - Elliott Masie (World list), Richard Straub (Europe), and Donald H Taylor (UK) - have retained their positions for 2011.

The biggest rise in positioning comes from Jo Aggarwal (a new entry at number two in the World list). Piers Lea rises six places to occupy the runner-up spot in the UK list but third and fourth place on that list go to two new entries: Jane Hart and Laura Overton respectively.

These lists are compiled on the basis of a person's perceived influence on the eLearning industry - as a practitioner, commentator, facilitator and/or thought leader. They are highly subjective but that, of course, adds spice to the inevitable discussions that arise wherever "eLearning folk" gather.

The top three of the lists for 2010/11 are:

World List

1. Elliott Masie - Among many other things, Elliott heads The MASIE Center, a Saratoga Springs, New York, think tank focused on how organizations can support learning and knowledge within the workforce. He also leads the Learning CONSORTIUM, a coalition of 240 global organisations cooperating on the evolution of learning strategies. (Position last year: 1)
2. Jo Aggarwal - On secondment from her role as Managing Director of Pearson Learning Solutions, Jo is currently working with Silatech, based in Qatar. Silatech's mission is to connect young people eighteen to thirty years old with employment and enterprise opportunities. (New entry for 2011)
3. Fabrizio Cardinali - CEO of eXact learning solutions North America, chair of ELIG, and a member of the board of directors of the IMS Global Learning Consortium. (Position last year: 2)

Europe List

1. Richard Straub - the Secretary of ELIG, overseeing ELIG's role as advisor to the EU on all things to do with eLearning (Position last year: 1)
2. Fabrizio Cardinali
3. Thea Payome - Editor of the Germany-based CHECK.point eLearning ezine and website (Position last year: 3)

UK List

1. Donald H Taylor - Not just the power behind the success of the Learning Technologies Conference (identifying the "right" topics and booking the "right" speakers) but also the editor of Learning Technologies magazine. People tend to watch out for, and read, what he writes. (Position last year: 1)
2. Piers Lea - A member of ELIG and CEO of LINE Communications, a company that is one of the leading players in the UK eLearning market and, increasingly, is making inroads into the European market. (Position last year: 8)
3. Jane Hart, Founder and CEO of the Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies and Visiting Lecturer on the MSc in eLearning at Oxford University, Jane now focuses on helping organisations understand how technologies can be used for collaborative learning and working.
   (New entry for 2011)