Global leadership is experiencing transformation due to advancements in the digital world. There was a time when many people in the world were unfamiliar with the CEOs of famous companies. They were not in touch with customers, and many people used to read or listen to news about them. However, today, the time has changed, and people are looking up to these executive leaders as role models. In this blog, we have collected a list of the 25 most influential CEOs that are showing their impact not just in their respective fields but also in the marketplace.
1. Sundar Pichai
Sundar Pichai is one of the most influential CEOs in today’s business world. He became part of Google in 2004, where he was responsible for leading product management along with innovation that suits client software products. Consequently, in 2015, he became the next CEO of Google, and the rest is history for all of us.
2. Elon Musk
At the age of 12, Elon Musk learned computer programming, and in 2002, he established SpaceX, an aerospace manufacturer and space transport services company. His goals to introduce humanity to a more sustainable world revolve around his SpaceX, Tesla, and Solar City companies.
3. Satya Nadella
Satya Nadella was appointed CEO of Microsoft in 2014, and under his leadership, shares of the company had risen by over 130%. He was honored by President Barack Obama with the Champion of Change Award in 2015. Moreover, he played a crucial role in securing Microsoft’s purchase of the B2B social platform LinkedIn.
4. Daniel Zhang
Daniel Zhang is the CEO of Alibaba Group since 2015. Moreover, he is a chairman of Cainiao Network and a founding member of the Alibaba Partnership. He is a member of Ant Financial’s investment committee. Earlier, he was a CFO of Shanda Interactive and worked as a Senior Manager at PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
5. Bill Gates
Bill Gates is at the heart of the Microsoft company and is one of the most acclaimed entrepreneurs in the computer industry. He has made such an impact on our modern world that it is difficult to find someone who hasn’t heard of him. His philanthropic activities and futuristic aptitude make him one of the most influential CEOs.
6. Jeff Bezos
Jeff Bezos launched Amazon.com in 1995, which has become the most prominent leader in the e-commerce industry. In 2018, he was listed as one of the richest CEOs in Forbes magazine, with an estimated net worth of $108.1 billion. Currently, it is predicted that he might become a trillionaire in the next 25 years.
7. Mary Barra
Mary Barra is one of the most influential CEOs. She started working for General Motors in 1980 as a co-op student. Later on, she succeeded Daniel Akerson as CEO of General Motors. She was ranked 35th on Forbes’s Most Powerful Women list in 2013.
8. Eric Yuan
Eric Yuan is the founder and CEO of Zoom Video Communications. During the pandemic, its video conferencing software became the world’s epicenter for workplace meetings, school meetings, social gatherings, and even weddings and funerals. Under Yuan’s leadership, the cloud-native architecture of Zoom became user-friendly.
9. Dr. Lisa Su
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has finished its first acquisition under the leadership of Dr. Lisa Su. It is a semiconductor manufacturing company that spent $50 billion to purchase fellow semiconductor manufacturer Xilinx. Su diversified her business by shifting its focus to chips for gaming consoles and data centers.
10. Brian Chesky
Brian Chesky is the CEO of Airbnb, who proactively used the pandemic situation to sharpen the company’s focus. He acquired the position of CEO when the company laid off 25% of its workers during the pandemic. Chesky handled the situation properly by granting at least 14 weeks of severance, extended health coverage, and mental health support.
11. Warren Buffett
As the 92-year-old CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet is a role model for upcoming generations when it comes to making the best investments. Many investors mimic Buffet’s investment decisions; hence, the value of ‘Buffet’s Stocks’ never goes down. Hence, Berkshire continues to thrive despite Nasdaq facing a fall in 2022.
12. Ben Minicucci
As the CEO of Alaska Airlines, Ben Minicucci prioritizes the mental wellness of people over everything else. He has served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 14 years, where he worked in technical operations and as a vice president of heavy maintenance.
13. Indra Nooyi
Indra Nooyi became the president and CEO of PepsiCo in 2006 and was named the 3rd Most Powerful Woman in Business by Fortune in 2014. She became the first independent female director of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Moreover, she holds a master’s degree in Public and Private management.
14. Lei Jun
Lei Jun is the Founder and CEO of Xiaomi which is based in Beijing and has 15,000 employees. He invests in various innovative businesses, including Joyy Inc. and UCWeb, as an angel investor. Furthermore, he founded Joyo.com in 2000 while working as Kingsoft’s CEO from 1998-2007.
15. Doug McMillon
Doug McMillon is the president and CEO of Walmart Inc., under whose leadership the company is making life easier for busy families and trying to build trust with them. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas in business administration and a master’s degree from the University of Tulsa.
16. Tim Cook
Timothy Donald Cook has been the CEO of Apple since 2011 and has served as the chief operating officer under Steve Jobs. Cook is the first CEO of a Fortune 500 company to publicly come out as gay. Moreover, he is also part of the board of directors of Nike, Inc., and the National Football Foundation.
17. Albert Bourla
Albert Bourla is the CEO of Pfizer, which is an American pharmaceutical company. In 2022, he was awarded the 2022 Genesis Prize for his exclusive leadership role in developing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. He loves animals and supports biodiversity while focusing on research and development.
18. Akio Toyoda
Akio Toyoda is a Japanese business executive who serves as the current CEO of Toyota Motor Corporation. He is a huge fan of auto racing and had participated in various racing events as a driver. In 2012, he was declared the Man of the Year of Autocar.
19. Shantanu Narayen
Shantanu Narayen is an Indian-American business executive who is currently serving as CEO of Adobe Inc. He grew up in Hyderabad in a Telugu-speaking family and earned a bachelor’s degree in electronics and telecommunication engineering. Under his leadership, the company led the transformation into the creative and digital fields.
20. John Donahoe
Earlier, John Donahoe was the president of Bain & Company, and currently, he is serving as the CEO of Nike. Moreover, he was hired as the president of eBay marketplaces in 2005. Later on, he became the president and CEO of another company, ServiceNow.
21. Marvin Ellison
On the day when Marvin headed the company Lowe’s as CEO, he directly went to the desk of contractors to understand issues of customers. It helped him to shift the focus of the company to more professional customers He has experience of more than 35 years in the field of retail leadership.
22. R. J. Scaringe
R. J. Scaringe is the founder and CEO of Rivian, which is an electrical vehicle manufacturing company. His net worth is estimated to be US$1.7 billion in December 2021. He has been a car enthusiast since childhood and also founded Mainstream Motors in 2009.
23. Tom Siebel
Tom Siebel is the founder of the enterprise software company Siebel Systems. Furthermore, he is the founder, chairman, and CEO of C3.AI, which is an artificial intelligence software platform and application. Also, he is the chairman of First Virtual Group, which works in investment management, commercial real estate, etc.
24. Roz Brewer
Roz, or Rosalind Brewer, is an American businesswoman who is also the CEO of Walgreens Boots Alliance. Earlier, she had held executive positions at other organizations namely, Kimberly-Clark, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Starbucks, etc. She was the only African American member of the board of directors at Amazon in 2019.
25. Ryan Roslansky
Ryan Roslansky is the CEO of LinkedIn, and he is one of the most influential CEOs in the world. He has been part of the Forbes CEO Next list, and in 2021, he coined the new term Great Reshuffle. It describes talent shifts occurring through data on the LinkedIn platform.
Finally, we are at the end of the exhausting list of the 25 most influential CEOs in the world who are inspiring the upcoming generations through their exclusive leadership skills. They have made immense contributions to leading their companies, rejuvenating ways of working, building relations with customers, etc. We hope you enjoyed reading our blog regarding the most influential CEOs in the world, whom you can look up to as role models for the rest of your life.
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