The Most Influential Executive of the Year August2025

Editorial

-AlayaBrown

Leadership That Redefines

What’s

Possible

Thereisacertainmagicinstoriesthatstartinplaceswheredreams

seem out of reach. For Darrick “DJ” Johnson, that place was Compton, California—a city known for its grit, resilience, and unyieldingspirit.Growingupinaworldwhereopportunityoftenfeltlike a distant horizon, he learned early that the path forward would not be handedtohim.Itwouldhavetobebuilt—stepbydeterminedstep.

From those early days, he carried an unwavering belief: “The highest human act is to inspire.” This guiding principle became more than a motto—it became the blueprint for his life’s work. His career journey, from navigating the corridors of corporate giants to championing pathwaysforothers,isatestamenttothepowerofvisionandthecourage todefyexpectations.

Through free coding programs, esports initiatives, mentorship, and career placement efforts, he has helped open the world of STEM to countless individuals who might never have seen themselves in it. His approach is rooted in accessibility—removing financial barriers and provingthattalentexistseverywhere,evenwhereresourcesdonot.

Yethismissionisnotconfinedtoindividualsuccess.Hisvisionreaches further:tobuildaglobalnetworkofSTEMcentersandtoplacemillions ofpeopleofcolorintotechnologyrolesby2025.Itisanambitiousgoal, butforsomeonewhohasturnedobstaclesintosteppingstoneshisentire life,ambitionissimplythefirststeptowardachievement.

This recognition of Darrick “DJ” Johnson as The Most Influential ExecutiveoftheYearisnotjustabouthonoringaleaderintechnology—it is about celebrating a man who uses his influence to uplift others. His storyremindsusthatthetruemeasureofleadershipisnotfoundintitles oraccolades,butinthelivestransformedandthehoperestored.

MIRIAM

SCHNYDER

With vision, emoon and determinaon, Miriam Schnyder is rewring the rules of arsc entrepreneurship. As the CEO of SCHNYDER Group Holding and the pioneering mind behind Art X on Glass, she is redefining how the world perceives art—not just as aesthec adornment, but as a funconal, emoonal, and transformave presence in everyday life.

With nearly two decades of leadership in finance and accounng, Sabry Mohamed is a dynamic force transforming how organizaons approach strategy, innovaon, and human capital. As Group CFO at Emdadat Alaa Group, a leading facility management firm in Saudi Arabia, Sabry brings a unique blend of financial experse, technological foresight, and people-first leadership.

DR. PANARAT ROHLEDER

Dr. Panarat Rohleder is a strategic advisor and leader in entrepreneur, academia, nonprofit, and consulng organizaons. She has served, and connues to serve, as an advisory board council member, a board member and a commiee member at various organizaons. This includes a board member at the Fulbright Associaon, Naonal Capital Area chapter, and a board member at Fulbright Thailand Interest Group for Fulbright Associaon.

The most influenal leaders are those who bring humanity to the core of technology in a me when data drives decision-making and innovaon happens at breakneck speed. One such leader is Kanak Kan Roy, a pioneer in the field of data science whose work is exemplifying a unique fusion of strategic vision, analycal nuance, and compassionate leadership.

SHI YUAN YEO

Shi Yuan Yeo journey began in the Singapore Police Force, where he internalized the gravity of ethical decision-making and the value of principled discipline. “That experience shaped my fundamental understanding of governance, accountability, and ethical decision-making,” Yeo reflects. This grounding prepared him for a pivotal transion into the legal and compliance field—a calling rather than a career change.

PARVEEN SMITH

Parveen Smith is a Transformave Leader in health and wellness, known for her innovave approaches to emoonal, mental, and physical well-being. She has developed a unique blueprint for mental and emoonal freedom, empowering individuals to overcome challenges like stress, anxiety, and trauma. Her blueprint resets the body system restoring healthy mind and body

DR. STOYANA NATSEVA

Dr. Stoyana Natseva is an internaonally recognized mentor in personal and business transformaon, bestselling author of 15 books, and founder of Happy Life Academy® – one of the most successful coaching academies in Europe, with more than 100,000 graduates worldwide. She holds a Doctorate in Business Administraon (DBA) and is currently pursuing a PhD in Psychology, combining academic depth with systemic and holisc methods.

SUMEESHA M. CHANDRAN

Sumeesha M. Chandran is a transformave leader whose career reflects a rare blend of technical acumen, business strategy, and human-centered leadership. With academic qualificaons in IT, Business Administraon, and Sociology, she has led high-impact iniaves across industries, parcularly in banking and legal technology. Her early work focused on streamlining loan processing systems and building agile delivery models that improved speed and efficiency.

From Compton to the Cloud – Darrick “DJ”

Johnson: Breaking Barriers, Building Futures

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

16 20 Courage Over Convention Executive Leadership Trends Inspired by a Visionary Executive

From Vision to Victory How Strategic Business Influence Built a Legacy Leader

Editor-in-Chief

Managing

Art

Business

Business

Digital

Co-designer

Marketing

Technical

Anew generation of executives is renewing the

leadershiprulebookandshakingupthesystem.The blueprintofthewaytothetopcontainedconformity; current success models are dealing with decisive action, integrity, and flexibility. These leaders are challenging the traditionsofformermodelsandcarvingoutanewdefinition of their complex world Consequently, new executive leadership directions are realigning coverages to lessen controlinfavorofcollaboration,hierarchyinfavorofagility, andprofitinfavorofpurpose-drivenimpact.

Human-CenteredandPurpose-DrivenLeadership

Perhaps one of the most interesting executive leadership trendsistheriseinhuman-centeredleadership,goingbeyond transactional leadership, and being based on empathy, emotionalintelligence,andasincereinterestinthewell-being oftheemployees.Visionaryleadersdefyconventionbecause they inculcate purpose at the strategic decision level and create cultures that are psychologically safe and inclusive.

Deloitte and Korn Ferry surveys found that companies are more engaged, have less turnover, and are more trusting of thesecompanieswithsuchamanagementstyle.

Theseleadersportraytheirboldnessbyhavingsustainability, equity, and employee friendliness as the center of business focus, not as peripheral programs but rather as ingrained values This shift to purpose leadership centers the organizational strategic vision with the wider business ESG commitment,creatingbothimpactfulandprincipledchoices.

AgileandAdaptiveExecutiveLeadership

Traditional steady-state leadership will no longer work in a volatile,uncertain,complex,andambiguous(VUCA)world. Executives must develop agility: flexibility to change direction at speed, comfort in experimentation, and the freedomtoco-createwithcross-functionalteams.

Agile leadership is not just a crisis response, but a cultural mindset that unites flexibility with directional integrity to enable leaders to both enable inventiveness and also have zones of strategic devotion through models such as alignempower. It is the type of ambitious transformational leadership that separates comfort-seeking individuals and risk-takers.

AI-PoweredDecisionSupportandEthicalGovernance

Artificialintelligenceisquicklybecomingafundamentalpart of how executives make decisions. Visionary managers use AI tools to support real-time analytics, workforce planning, and efficiency, which frees them up to focus on long-term visionandrelationships.

At the same time, the emergence of industry-specific titles (such as Chief AI Officer and Chief Automation Officer) indicatesthatpeoplehavecometorealizethatthecontrolof ethical AI has become the role of an executive. Visionary leaders are prepared to accept this revolution, not by marginalizing human judgment, but by embeddingAI in the contextoftransparency,fairness,andvalues.

TheRiseofFractionalandSharedLeadershipModels

Fractionalleadershipisanotherboldtrend-usingpart-timeor project-basedexecutivestodriveastrategicchangewithouta full-timeappointment.Thiscloudmodelallowsorganizations to access elite expertise without being limited by

conventional C-suite frameworks. Accompanying this is shared leadership, which involves the decentralization of leadership roles among various stakeholders Engaged leadersemploythischangetobuildnetworksofinfluencethat obscure the hierarchy to form collaboration, creativity and commondirection.

EmotionalIntelligenceandResilience

Although strong technical and analytical ability still matter, other visionary executives stand out when possessing high emotional intelligence (EQ) and resilience. EQ can help leadershandleconflict,inspiregroups,andsustaincomposure in chaotic settings, which are vital skills in volatile environments. Resilience enables leaders to absorb a blow, transform disruption into possibility, and navigate organizations with a clear long-term vision When consideringtheapplicationofAIinroutinetasks,humanand behavioralaspectsofleadershipbegintobeseenasdistinctive characteristicsofexcellencein2025.

RedefiningExecutiveRoles:Innovation-FocusedC-Suite

The keys are visionary executives, restructuring the way corporations are led, beyond CEO, CFO, and COO to Chief TransformationOfficer,ChiefExperienceOfficer,andChief Sustainability Officer These positions point to a conscious shifttowardsinnovation,strategicchange,andintegrationof experiences, with a braver approach and less conventional allegiancetothehierarchiesofyesteryear.

FinalWords

Unconventionalleadersareattheforefrontofmanyexecutive leadership trends: human-centered and purpose-driven leadership, working agile and adaptable, ethical AI usage, scale coaching, shared and fractional leadership, emotional intelligence, and new roles of the C-suite.These models are nottheoriesalone,butaparadigmchangeintheleadershipof culture,strategy,andinfluence.Theseareexecutiveswhonot onlycommandbutalsoengage,uplift,andinspire.Insteadof prioritizingnorms,theybuildresilient,innovative,authentic, andvalues-alignedworkplacesbyprioritizingcourage.

From Vision to Victory

How Sttec Legacy Leader

Inafast-pacedcorporateenvironment,anentrepreneurneeds

morethanawell-runbusinesstobecomealegacyleaderina company that impacts future generations through the advantages of a well-planned vision, a strong culture, effective relationshipswithstakeholders,andleadershipagility

ThePowerofStrategicBusinessInfluence

The art of business influence is essentially the art of determining what an organization will be, architecting the necessary alignmentstoachieveit,andexecutingthelong-termstrategyand plan.Thewaysthroughwhichleadersinfusetheirinfluenceinthe culture, operations, and partnerships that sustain after their departurearehowtheymakeit.

It all starts with powerful strategic insight, a clear, long-term roadmap consistent with mission and values, and enabled by activities like SWOT analyses, responsiveness to change, and scenario-basedforesight.

VisionaryLeadershipasaCatalystforLegacy

Great visionaries combine seeing the big picture and conveying valueseffectively Theyinstilltrustbyencouraginguniformityof message and strict adherence to execution Patagonia, for example,hasbaseditsbusinessonenvironmentalconscience:its founder, Yvon Chouinard, has instilled environmental responsibility into all business functions, including sustainable suppliers and its recycling initiative, Worn Wear, thereby transformingasenseofbelongingintolegacyandbusinessimpact.

Starbucks with Howard Schultz similarly focused on community and employee well-being in addition to expansion-abrandstorythattranscendeditscoffeecups.

Culture,Influence&OrganizationalAlignment

Thecoreofalegacyleaderdependsonapermeableinternal culturethattransformsstrategicbusinessinfluenceintodaily actions It has been repeatedly demonstrated that performance-driven cultures have been observed to encourage innovation and long-term prosperity. The 7S frameworkofMcKinseyshowsthatthereshouldbeafocuson aligning strategy, structure, systems, skills, style, staff, and shared values, making sure that the decision made supports theoverallpurposeanddoesnotweakenit.

Ambidextrous leadership is important in helping legacy organizations explore and exploit opportunities. Flexible movement between exploration-driven (transformational) and efficiency-driven (transactional) leadership styles by CEOs maintains innovation and protects operational integrity

StrategicPartnerships&StakeholderInfluence

Realbusinesspowerisnotlimitedtotheenterprise.Capacity, reputation,andimpactmaybestrengthenedthroughstrategic partnerships with NGOs, academic institutions, or industry allies. Partnerships allow businesses to enter new markets, exchange resources, and develop their ecosystems around their mission Meanwhile, legacy relies on stakeholder management ranging from employees, investors, and the communities. Leaders who set out to welcome feedback, practice openness, and inspire faith through moral governancecreateresilienceandenduringpower.

Ethics,CSR&Purpose-DrivenStrategy

Thelegacybuildinginthecurrenteracannotbeindependent of the social and environmental impacts of a firm. CSR initiativeshavebecomenotonlyaphilanthropicactbutalsoa principal strategy that enhances credibility and sustainable brand strength. This is depicted by Indra Nooyi of PepsiCo throughPerformancewithPurpose,theintegrationofhealth, sustainability,andsocialagendasintobusinessstrategies.

TalentDevelopment&SuccessionPlanning

A powerful tradition requires its posterity. Succession planning keeps leadership changes within the context of maintaining influence rather than destroying it. Effective programs help determine emerging talent, institutionalize

organizational knowledge, and shape future leaders in line with the strategic vision. Firms unable to plan (particularly SMEs)mayderailtheirlong-termcourse.

Innovation&AdaptiveStrategy

Legacy leaders are not vestiges of the past; they are futureproof.Adopting change adaptive structures, like continuous improvement, feedback loop, reinvestment in research and development, and scenario planning, becomes resilient. Companies such as IBM, Disney, or GE repeated the failure whentheyfellundertheso-calledshort-termpressuretofall under the long-term influence (see the need to balance the investordemandsandreinvestmentininnovation).

MeasuringInfluence&Growth

The long-term impact cannot be left to chance. To measure cultural fit, brand perception, stakeholder confidence, and innovationadoption,legacy-drivenleadersuseindicatorsand governance models of progress Annual audits, reprioritizationdiscussions,andflexibilitypracticescanalso contribute to maintaining strategic influence intentionally ratherthanadrift.

CaseinPoint:ToyotaandAkioToyoda

Renowned automaker, Akio Toyoda, had led Toyota to survive through crises (recalls and world shocks), through engineering innovation and strategic thinking. His managementstylewasallaboutstrategicbusinessinfluence: technical legitimacy (as the automotive alter ego Morizo) mixed with organization change heralding projects such as Woven by Toyota. He influenced Toyota to have a global nameandstrength,evenwiththechangesingovernance.

Conclusion

Astrategicbusinessinfluenceonvisiontovictoryisnotabout overnight success; it is about arranging a legacy through mindful decisions, alignment of stakeholders, culture creation,ethicalintent,andfutureadaptability Theexample oflegacyleadersPatagonia,Starbucks,Toyota,andPepsiCo showsthatavisionfoundedonvalues,toldwell,supportedby culture,andimplementedwithstrategicpowercanwithstand thetestoftime.

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