In what has been a tumultuous year for print, one of the biggest problems for printers has been trade credit insurance and the impact this has had on their supply of paper.
So, Allen, as head of the UK's largest paper merchanting group, responsible for supplying UK printers with close to £1bn of paper, has a huge impact on printers' ability to trade.
"Making a supplier our number one was not a decision that was taken lightly," said PrintWeek editor Darryl Danielli.
"But after much discussion the entire editorial panel agreed that the unique economic circumstances meant that the head of the UK's largest paper merchant, as a result of the tightening of credit insurance, arguably wielded the most power across the industry."
Find out more about why Allen is head of the PrintWeek Power 100.
For the rest of the Power 100 rankings, click one of the links below:
100-91
90-81
80-71
70-61
60-51
50-41
40-31
30-21
20-11
10-2
1
And to see how the public voted, click here
PrintWeek Power 100 2009 revealed
For the first time in its eight-year history a supplier has topped PrintWeek's list of the most powerful people in print, with Paperlinx UK regional director David Allen securing the top slot in the Power 100.
