InfluenceAsia does not import external rankings, awards, wealth tables, conference rosters, company valuations, political lists or stock-market league tables into the final order.
2018
InfluenceAsia 100: Asia's Top CEOs 2018
A research-led ranking of the CEO-equivalent leaders who shaped Asian business in 2018.
100Leaders Ranked
100InfluenceAsia CEO Leadership Index
7Research Dimensions
29Market Bases
Ranking Introduction
The Year Asia Rewired Growth
InfluenceAsia 100: Asia's Top CEOs 2018 recognizes the chief executives and CEO-equivalent leaders whose decisions most strongly shaped Asian business in 2018. The edition covers digital platforms, telecoms, semiconductors, automotive, banking, consumer goods, enterprise technology, aviation, healthcare, e-commerce, mobility, sovereign capital, logistics, energy, retail, food systems and global technology leadership by Asian-origin executives.
The 2018 edition is built around Scale With Consequence: the year when Asian and Asian-origin CEOs were judged not only by growth, but by whether their platforms, networks, capital decisions and operating systems could sustain public trust, governance pressure and global scrutiny.
The ranking is an original InfluenceAsia research and editorial list. It is not a wealth list, market-cap table, political ranking, founder-celebrity list, revenue table, stock-performance league, awards summary or imported media index. Placement reflects a composite view of 2018 contribution, operating performance, strategic influence, innovation, market impact, institutional quality and long-term relevance.
This is not a wealth list, traffic list or advertising award. It is an independent InfluenceAsia research and editorial ranking of operating consequence, institutional quality and 2018 business influence.
Leaders must have material professional relevance during 2018, with stronger weighting for visible 2018 performance, strategic decisions, acquisitions, launches, listings, turnarounds, capital allocation, market creation or institutional reform.
Eligible leaders include CEOs and CEO-equivalent apex operators such as executive chairmen, managing directors, presidents, group CEOs and founders who held direct strategic or operating authority in 2018.
Representative Cases
Eight Leaders That Define The 2018 Thesis
#01
Mukesh Ambani
Industrial and digital infrastructure leader
InfluenceAsia ranks Ambani first because Jio's 2018 scale made Reliance a central architect of India's mobile internet and data economy.
#02
Pony Ma
Consumer internet CEO
InfluenceAsia ranks Ma highly because Tencent's platform power extends from communication to commerce, entertainment and financial services.
#03
Masayoshi Son
Technology capital CEO
InfluenceAsia includes Son in the top tier because the Vision Fund made Asian capital a global force in platform formation.
#04
Ren Zhengfei
Engineering founder-CEO
InfluenceAsia ranks Ren because Huawei's 2018 scale placed Chinese engineering at the center of global 5G and device competition.
#05
Satya Nadella
Global software CEO
InfluenceAsia includes Nadella because his leadership made an Asian-origin CEO central to global enterprise technology.
#06
Sundar Pichai
Global platform CEO
InfluenceAsia ranks Pichai because Google remains one of the operating systems of the global internet, including Asian digital markets.
#07
Jack Ma
Founder and executive chairman
InfluenceAsia includes Ma because Alibaba's 2018 succession plan showed founder-led business moving toward institutional continuity.
#08
Akio Toyoda
Industrial CEO
InfluenceAsia ranks Toyoda because the transition toward mobility, electrification and autonomous systems demands industrial patience and scale.
Full Ranking
The Full List
Showing 100 leaders
| Rank | Leader | Platform | Market Base | Primary Sector | Index | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mukesh AmbaniIndustrial and digital infrastructure leader | Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries | India | Telecoms, energy, retail and digital infrastructure | 99.0 | Jio's scale continued to reshape Indian data consumption, telecom pricing and digital-market access. |
| 2 | Pony MaConsumer internet CEO | Chairman and CEO, Tencent Holdings | China | Social platforms, gaming, payments and cloud | 98.6 | Tencent remained China's deepest consumer internet utility through WeChat, gaming, payments and digital services. |
| 3 | Masayoshi SonTechnology capital CEO | Chairman and CEO, SoftBank Group | Japan and global | Technology investment, telecoms and platform capital | 98.2 | The Vision Fund made Son one of the world's most consequential capital allocators in 2018. |
| 4 | Ren ZhengfeiEngineering founder-CEO | Founder and CEO, Huawei Technologies | China and global | Telecoms, smartphones and 5G infrastructure | 97.8 | Huawei surpassed major global milestones in revenue, smartphones and 5G equipment under intensifying geopolitical scrutiny. |
| 5 | Satya NadellaGlobal software CEO | CEO, Microsoft | India and global | Cloud, enterprise software and AI | 97.4 | Microsoft's cloud-led renewal made Nadella the most consequential Asian-origin global technology CEO of 2018. |
| 6 | Sundar PichaiGlobal platform CEO | CEO, Google | India and global | Search, Android, AI and consumer platforms | 97.0 | Google's AI-first platform, Android scale and global search leadership kept Pichai central to the digital economy. |
| 7 | Jack MaFounder and executive chairman | Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group | China and global | E-commerce, cloud, logistics and digital finance | 96.6 | Alibaba's 2018 succession plan elevated Ma's role as a builder of durable corporate architecture, not only a founder brand. |
| 8 | Akio ToyodaIndustrial CEO | President, Toyota Motor Corporation | Japan and global | Automotive and mobility | 96.2 | Toyota remained Asia's industrial benchmark while accelerating electrification, mobility services and global manufacturing discipline. |
| 9 | Daniel ZhangPlatform operating CEO | CEO, Alibaba Group | China | E-commerce, cloud and commerce infrastructure | 95.8 | Zhang's elevation as Ma's successor confirmed his operating authority over Alibaba's commerce, cloud and logistics ecosystem. |
| 10 | Piyush GuptaDigital banking CEO | CEO, DBS Group | Singapore | Digital banking and financial services | 95.4 | DBS continued to set the standard for Asian bank digitization, customer experience and technology-led culture. |
| 11 | Anthony TanSoutheast Asian platform CEO | Co-founder and Group CEO, Grab | Singapore and Southeast Asia | Mobility, payments and super-app services | 95.0 | Grab's acquisition of Uber's Southeast Asian operations made Tan the region's defining platform CEO of 2018. |
| 12 | Lei JunHardware-internet founder | Founder, Chairman and CEO, Xiaomi | China and global | Smartphones, IoT and consumer technology | 94.6 | Xiaomi's 2018 Hong Kong listing made Lei one of Asia's most visible hardware-internet entrepreneurs. |
| 13 | Colin HuangSocial commerce founder | Founder and CEO, Pinduoduo | China | Social commerce and mobile e-commerce | 94.2 | Pinduoduo's 2018 listing turned Huang into the clearest challenger to China's established e-commerce order. |
| 14 | Wang XingLocal-services founder | Co-founder, Chairman and CEO, Meituan | China | Local services, food delivery and lifestyle platforms | 93.8 | Meituan's 2018 public listing gave Wang a major platform in China's daily-life services economy. |
| 15 | Zhang YimingAlgorithmic media founder | Founder and CEO, ByteDance | China and global | Algorithmic media, short video and content platforms | 93.4 | ByteDance's global short-video momentum made Zhang one of Asia's most important next-generation internet CEOs. |
| 16 | C.C. WeiSemiconductor CEO | CEO, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company | Taiwan and global | Semiconductors and advanced manufacturing | 93.0 | TSMC's 2018 leadership transition placed Wei at the center of the world's most important foundry platform. |
| 17 | Lisa SuSemiconductor turnaround CEO | President and CEO, AMD | Taiwan, United States and global | Semiconductors and high-performance computing | 92.6 | AMD's technology and market recovery made Su one of the strongest Asian-origin technology CEOs of 2018. |
| 18 | N. ChandrasekaranConglomerate steward | Chairman, Tata Sons | India | Conglomerates, technology and industrial groups | 92.2 | Tata's portfolio stabilization and governance reset made Chandrasekaran a crucial Indian apex executive. |
| 19 | Kenichiro YoshidaTechnology and entertainment CEO | President and CEO, Sony Corporation | Japan | Consumer electronics, gaming and entertainment | 91.8 | Sony's 2018 leadership transition gave Yoshida the mandate to deepen a more focused entertainment and technology company. |
| 20 | Eric JingDigital finance executive | Executive Chairman and CEO, Ant Financial | China | Digital finance, payments and inclusive financial technology | 91.4 | Ant Financial's massive 2018 financing reinforced Jing's position in China's digital-finance infrastructure. |
| 21 | Robin LiSearch and AI CEO | Chairman and CEO, Baidu | China | Search, AI and autonomous systems | 91.0 | Baidu's search strength and AI strategy kept Li relevant as China's internet shifted toward machine intelligence. |
| 22 | Richard LiuE-commerce and logistics CEO | Chairman and CEO, JD.com | China | E-commerce, logistics and retail technology | 90.6 | JD's warehousing, direct-retail model and logistics infrastructure kept Liu important to China's retail modernization. |
| 23 | Cheng WeiMobility platform CEO | Founder and CEO, Didi Chuxing | China | Mobility technology and urban transport | 90.2 | Didi remained China's dominant mobility platform while 2018 safety issues tested Cheng's stewardship and governance response. |
| 24 | Kalyan KrishnamurthyE-commerce operating CEO | CEO, Flipkart Group | India | E-commerce and digital retail | 89.8 | Flipkart's 2018 sale to Walmart placed Krishnamurthy at the center of India's largest e-commerce transaction. |
| 25 | Vijay Shekhar SharmaPayments founder-CEO | Founder and CEO, Paytm | India | Digital payments and fintech | 89.4 | Paytm's 2018 strategic investment momentum confirmed Sharma as India's leading fintech platform builder. |
| 26 | Ritesh AgarwalHospitality technology founder | Founder and CEO, OYO | India and global | Hospitality technology and hotel networks | 89.0 | OYO's 2018 capital raise and global expansion made Agarwal one of Asia's most visible young CEOs. |
| 27 | William LiElectric-vehicle founder | Founder, Chairman and CEO, NIO | China | Electric vehicles and smart mobility | 88.6 | NIO's 2018 New York listing made Li a central figure in China's electric-vehicle startup wave. |
| 28 | Wang ChuanfuElectric mobility manufacturer | Chairman and President, BYD | China | Electric vehicles, batteries and manufacturing | 88.2 | BYD remained one of Asia's most important electric-vehicle and battery manufacturers under Wang's leadership. |
| 29 | Li ShufuGlobal automotive strategist | Chairman, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group | China and global | Automotive and mobility | 87.8 | Geely's global automotive ambition and Daimler stake made Li a major Chinese industrial strategist in 2018. |
| 30 | Tadashi YanaiGlobal retail CEO | Chairman, President and CEO, Fast Retailing | Japan and global | Apparel retail and consumer brands | 87.4 | Uniqlo's continued global expansion kept Yanai among Asia's most successful consumer-brand CEOs. |
| 31 | Forrest LiSoutheast Asian internet CEO | Founder, Chairman and Group CEO, Sea | Singapore and Southeast Asia | Gaming, e-commerce and digital finance | 87.0 | Sea's Garena, Shopee and digital-finance ecosystem gave Li one of Southeast Asia's most ambitious internet platforms. |
| 32 | Nadiem MakarimIndonesian platform founder | Founder and CEO, Go-Jek | Indonesia | Mobility, payments and on-demand services | 86.6 | Go-Jek expanded from Indonesian ride-hailing into a broader services and payments platform. |
| 33 | William TanuwijayaMarketplace founder | Co-founder and CEO, Tokopedia | Indonesia | E-commerce and marketplace platforms | 86.2 | Tokopedia remained a central force in bringing Indonesian merchants and consumers into digital commerce. |
| 34 | Tony FernandesAviation entrepreneur | Group CEO, AirAsia | Malaysia and ASEAN | Low-cost aviation and travel services | 85.8 | AirAsia remained the region's defining low-cost aviation brand under pressure from cost, regulation and competition. |
| 35 | Goh Choon PhongPremium aviation CEO | CEO, Singapore Airlines | Singapore | Premium aviation and global travel | 85.4 | Singapore Airlines' premium network, fleet renewal and customer reputation kept Goh among Asia's top aviation CEOs. |
| 36 | Ho ChingSovereign capital CEO | CEO, Temasek Holdings | Singapore and global | Sovereign capital and long-term investment | 85.0 | Temasek's portfolio reach made Ho one of Asia's most influential capital stewards. |
| 37 | Chua Sock KoongTelecom group CEO | Group CEO, Singtel | Singapore and regional telecoms | Telecommunications and digital services | 84.6 | Singtel's regional network exposure and digital investments kept Chua central to Asian connectivity. |
| 38 | Uday KotakBanking founder-CEO | Managing Director and CEO, Kotak Mahindra Bank | India | Banking and financial services | 84.2 | Kotak Mahindra Bank's quality franchise made Kotak one of India's strongest financial-services founder-CEOs. |
| 39 | Aditya PuriRetail banking operator | Managing Director, HDFC Bank | India | Retail banking and digital finance | 83.8 | HDFC Bank's execution discipline kept Puri the benchmark Indian retail-banking operator. |
| 40 | Rajesh GopinathanIT services CEO | CEO and Managing Director, Tata Consultancy Services | India and global | IT services and enterprise technology | 83.4 | TCS' global scale and digital services made Gopinathan a major Indian technology-services CEO. |
| 41 | Salil ParekhIT services renewal CEO | CEO and Managing Director, Infosys | India and global | IT services, automation and digital transformation | 83.0 | Parekh's first full year at Infosys centered on stabilizing leadership and sharpening the digital-services mandate. |
| 42 | Sanjiv MehtaConsumer goods CEO | Chairman and Managing Director, Hindustan Unilever | India | Consumer goods and brand portfolios | 82.6 | Hindustan Unilever's market execution made Mehta one of India's most important consumer-sector CEOs. |
| 43 | Anand MahindraIndustrial and mobility leader | Chairman, Mahindra Group | India | Automotive, tractors, technology and financial services | 82.2 | Mahindra's diversified platform connected mobility, rural enterprise, technology services and industrial ambition. |
| 44 | Kiran Mazumdar-ShawBiotechnology founder | Chairperson and Managing Director, Biocon | India and global | Biotechnology and biosimilars | 81.8 | Biocon's biosimilar platform kept Mazumdar-Shaw central to India's science-led enterprise story. |
| 45 | Dilip ShanghviPharmaceutical entrepreneur | Managing Director, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries | India and global | Pharmaceuticals and generics | 81.4 | Sun Pharma remained India's largest drugmaker and a major global generics institution under Shanghvi. |
| 46 | Byju RaveendranEdtech founder | Founder and CEO, BYJU'S | India | Education technology | 81.0 | BYJU'S continued to scale mobile learning, making Raveendran one of India's most visible edtech CEOs. |
| 47 | Deepinder GoyalFood-tech founder | Founder and CEO, Zomato | India and global | Food discovery and restaurant technology | 80.6 | Zomato's food-discovery and delivery ambitions made Goyal a major Indian consumer internet leader. |
| 48 | Bhavish AggarwalMobility founder | Co-founder and CEO, Ola | India | Ride-hailing and mobility technology | 80.2 | Ola remained India's principal homegrown ride-hailing platform and began pushing deeper into mobility services. |
| 49 | Sriharsha MajetyFood-delivery CEO | Co-founder and CEO, Swiggy | India | Food delivery and hyperlocal logistics | 79.8 | Swiggy's 2018 unicorn status made Majety one of India's strongest food-tech operators. |
| 50 | Falguni NayarBeauty commerce founder | Founder and CEO, Nykaa | India | Beauty commerce and consumer retail | 79.4 | Nykaa's premium beauty-commerce model made Nayar a standout Indian retail entrepreneur. |
| 51 | Kim Ki-namSemiconductor executive | CEO, Samsung Electronics Device Solutions | South Korea and global | Semiconductors and components | 79.0 | Samsung's memory and component leadership made Kim one of Korea's most important technology executives. |
| 52 | Chung Eui-sunAutomotive successor-leader | Executive Vice Chairman, Hyundai Motor Group | South Korea and global | Automotive and mobility | 78.6 | Chung's 2018 elevation signaled a generational shift toward mobility, design and global competitiveness. |
| 53 | Chey Tae-wonKorean conglomerate leader | Chairman, SK Group | South Korea | Energy, telecoms and semiconductors | 78.2 | SK's semiconductor and telecom exposure kept Chey central to Korea's industrial strategy. |
| 54 | Koo Kwang-moNew-generation chaebol leader | Chairman, LG Group | South Korea | Electronics, chemicals and batteries | 77.8 | Koo's 2018 succession placed a new-generation leader over one of Korea's most important conglomerates. |
| 55 | Seo Jung-jinBiopharma founder | Founder and Chairman, Celltrion Group | South Korea and global | Biosimilars and biopharmaceuticals | 77.4 | Celltrion's biosimilar rise made Seo one of Asia's most important healthcare entrepreneurs. |
| 56 | Kim Beom-suDigital platform founder | Founder and Chairman, Kakao | South Korea | Messaging, fintech and digital platforms | 77.0 | Kakao's messaging and payments ecosystem kept Kim influential in Korea's consumer internet market. |
| 57 | Terry GouManufacturing founder | Founder and Chairman, Hon Hai Precision Industry | Taiwan and global | Electronics manufacturing and supply chains | 76.6 | Foxconn remained the manufacturing backbone of global consumer electronics under Gou's leadership. |
| 58 | Jason ChenHardware turnaround CEO | Chairman and CEO, Acer | Taiwan and global | PCs, gaming hardware and devices | 76.2 | Acer's stabilization and gaming-focused strategy made Chen a relevant Taiwanese hardware CEO. |
| 59 | Cher WangVR and mobile technology leader | Chairwoman and CEO, HTC | Taiwan | Virtual reality and mobile technology | 75.8 | HTC's Vive platform kept Wang relevant to the emerging immersive-computing market. |
| 60 | Shigenobu NagamoriPrecision manufacturing CEO | Founder, Chairman and CEO, Nidec | Japan and global | Precision motors and industrial technology | 75.4 | Nidec's acquisition discipline and motor technology kept Nagamori central to Japanese industrial competitiveness. |
| 61 | Hiroshi MikitaniJapanese internet CEO | Chairman and CEO, Rakuten | Japan and global | E-commerce, fintech and digital services | 75.0 | Rakuten's ecosystem across commerce, finance and mobile ambition kept Mikitani a major Japanese platform CEO. |
| 62 | Kazuhiro TsugaElectronics and battery CEO | President, Panasonic | Japan and global | Electronics, batteries and industrial systems | 74.6 | Panasonic's battery, automotive and industrial systems strategy kept Tsuga relevant to mobility and connected devices. |
| 63 | Toshihiro SuzukiAutomotive CEO | President, Suzuki Motor Corporation | Japan and global | Automotive and compact mobility | 74.2 | Suzuki's emerging-market strength kept Toshihiro Suzuki significant in affordable global mobility. |
| 64 | Christophe WeberGlobal pharma CEO | President and CEO, Takeda Pharmaceutical | Japan and global | Pharmaceuticals and specialty medicine | 73.8 | Takeda's Shire acquisition agreement made Weber one of 2018's most consequential healthcare CEOs in Asia. |
| 65 | Haruo NaitoPharmaceutical CEO | President and CEO, Eisai | Japan and global | Pharmaceuticals and patient-centered healthcare | 73.4 | Eisai's neuroscience and oncology focus kept Naito among Japan's strongest pharma leaders. |
| 66 | Vinita GuptaGlobal pharma operator | CEO, Lupin | India and global | Pharmaceuticals and generics | 73.0 | Gupta remained a prominent global operator for one of India's leading generics companies. |
| 67 | Sunil Bharti MittalTelecom founder | Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprises | India and Africa | Telecommunications and digital connectivity | 72.6 | Airtel's scale and competitive response to Jio kept Mittal central to Indian telecoms. |
| 68 | Azim PremjiTechnology services steward | Chairman, Wipro | India and global | IT services and enterprise technology | 72.2 | Premji remained a defining figure in Indian technology services and business stewardship. |
| 69 | Ajay BangaPayments CEO | President and CEO, Mastercard | India and global | Payments and financial technology | 71.8 | Mastercard's digital payments growth made Banga one of the most influential Asian-origin financial CEOs. |
| 70 | Shantanu NarayenCreative software CEO | Chairman and CEO, Adobe | India and global | Creative software, cloud and digital media | 71.4 | Adobe's subscription and cloud model kept Narayen among the leading Asian-origin software CEOs. |
| 71 | Indra NooyiGlobal consumer CEO | Chairman and CEO through 2018 transition, PepsiCo | India and global | Consumer goods and global brands | 71.0 | Nooyi's 2018 transition capped a major tenure in global consumer leadership and portfolio strategy. |
| 72 | Sanjay MehrotraMemory semiconductor CEO | President and CEO, Micron Technology | India and global | Memory semiconductors and data infrastructure | 70.6 | Micron's memory-cycle strength made Mehrotra an important Asian-origin semiconductor CEO. |
| 73 | Jayshree UllalCloud networking CEO | President and CEO, Arista Networks | India and global | Cloud networking and enterprise infrastructure | 70.2 | Arista's cloud networking execution made Ullal one of the most respected Asian-origin technology CEOs. |
| 74 | George KurianData infrastructure CEO | CEO, NetApp | India and global | Data storage and enterprise cloud infrastructure | 69.8 | NetApp's cloud data strategy kept Kurian relevant to enterprise technology modernization. |
| 75 | Rajeev SuriTelecom infrastructure CEO | President and CEO, Nokia | India and global | Telecommunications infrastructure | 69.4 | Nokia's 5G positioning made Suri a major Asian-origin telecom infrastructure CEO in 2018. |
| 76 | Amin H. NasserEnergy CEO | President and CEO, Saudi Aramco | Saudi Arabia | Energy and industrial infrastructure | 69.0 | Aramco's scale and investment discipline made Nasser one of West Asia's most important corporate leaders. |
| 77 | Sultan Ahmed bin SulayemPorts and logistics CEO | Group Chairman and CEO, DP World | United Arab Emirates and global | Ports, logistics and trade infrastructure | 68.6 | DP World's global ports network made bin Sulayem a central leader in trade infrastructure. |
| 78 | Mohamed AlabbarProperty and commerce entrepreneur | Chairman, Emaar Properties and Noon interests | United Arab Emirates | Real estate, retail and digital commerce | 68.2 | Alabbar linked Dubai's property brand with a regional e-commerce challenge through Noon. |
| 79 | Akbar Al BakerAirline CEO | Group Chief Executive, Qatar Airways | Qatar and global | Aviation | 67.8 | Qatar Airways' network, service and fleet strategy kept Al Baker among Asia's strongest aviation executives. |
| 80 | Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al MaktoumAviation group chief | Chairman and CEO, Emirates Airline and Group | United Arab Emirates and global | Aviation and transport | 67.4 | Emirates remained central to Dubai's global connectivity and aviation-led economic strategy. |
| 81 | Adel AliLow-cost aviation CEO | Group CEO, Air Arabia | United Arab Emirates and regional markets | Low-cost aviation | 67.0 | Air Arabia's disciplined low-cost model gave Ali a distinctive position in West Asian aviation. |
| 82 | Said DarwazahPharmaceutical CEO | Chairman and CEO, Hikma Pharmaceuticals | Jordan and global | Pharmaceuticals and injectables | 66.6 | Hikma's generics and injectables platform made Darwazah a major West Asian healthcare CEO. |
| 83 | Levent CakirogluIndustrial conglomerate CEO | CEO, Koc Holding | Turkey | Industrial conglomerates | 66.2 | Koc Holding's industrial breadth made Cakiroglu a key Turkish CEO through a volatile macro year. |
| 84 | Guler SabanciConglomerate steward | Chairwoman and Managing Director, Sabanci Holding | Turkey | Conglomerates, finance and energy | 65.8 | Sabanci's professionalized governance made her one of West Asia's leading business figures. |
| 85 | Murat UlkerConsumer brands chairman | Chairman, Yildiz Holding | Turkey and global | Food and consumer brands | 65.4 | Yildiz's international confectionery portfolio kept Ulker prominent in global consumer goods. |
| 86 | Suphachai ChearavanontRegional conglomerate CEO | CEO, Charoen Pokphand Group | Thailand and regional markets | Food, agribusiness, retail and telecoms | 65.0 | CP Group's regional food, retail and telecom interests made Suphachai a major Southeast Asian CEO. |
| 87 | Charoen SirivadhanabhakdiBeverage and property group leader | Chairman, ThaiBev and TCC Group | Thailand and regional markets | Beverages, property and consumer assets | 64.6 | ThaiBev and TCC's property and beverage assets kept Charoen among Southeast Asia's strongest capital allocators. |
| 88 | Tos ChirathivatRetail and property CEO | Executive Chairman and CEO, Central Group | Thailand and regional markets | Retail, property and hospitality | 64.2 | Central Group's retail and property network made Tos a key Southeast Asian consumer-sector leader. |
| 89 | Chartsiri SophonpanichBanking CEO | President, Bangkok Bank | Thailand and regional markets | Banking | 63.8 | Bangkok Bank's regional footprint kept Chartsiri central to Thai and ASEAN financial services. |
| 90 | Jaime Augusto Zobel de AyalaPhilippine conglomerate CEO | Chairman and CEO, Ayala Corporation | Philippines | Conglomerates, telecoms, banking and property | 63.4 | Ayala's professionalized holding-company model kept Zobel de Ayala at the center of Philippine business. |
| 91 | Lance GokongweiDiversified group CEO | President and CEO, JG Summit Holdings | Philippines | Conglomerates, aviation and consumer goods | 63.0 | JG Summit's aviation, food, property and petrochemicals platform made Gokongwei a major Philippine CEO. |
| 92 | Ernest CuTelecom CEO | President and CEO, Globe Telecom | Philippines | Telecommunications and digital services | 62.6 | Globe's data and digital-services push made Cu a leading Philippine telecom CEO. |
| 93 | Manuel V. PangilinanTelecom and infrastructure operator | Chairman and CEO, PLDT and Metro Pacific interests | Philippines | Telecoms, infrastructure and investment | 62.2 | Pangilinan remained one of the Philippines' most influential corporate operators across telecoms and infrastructure. |
| 94 | Henry SyRetail and banking founder | Founder and Chairman, SM Investments | Philippines | Retail, banking and property | 61.8 | SM's retail and mall ecosystem kept Sy a defining Philippine corporate leader in 2018. |
| 95 | Pham Nhat VuongVietnamese private-sector founder | Founder and Chairman, Vingroup | Vietnam | Property, retail, manufacturing and services | 61.4 | Vingroup's expansion into autos and consumer services made Vuong Vietnam's most visible private-sector leader. |
| 96 | Nguyen Dang QuangConsumer goods founder | Chairman, Masan Group | Vietnam | Consumer goods, food and resources | 61.0 | Masan's branded consumer and food strategy kept Quang central to Vietnam's private business development. |
| 97 | Tran Dinh LongIndustrial CEO | Chairman, Hoa Phat Group | Vietnam | Steel, industrials and agriculture | 60.6 | Hoa Phat's steel capacity made Long one of Vietnam's strongest industrial CEOs. |
| 98 | Achmad ZakyMarketplace founder | Founder and CEO, Bukalapak | Indonesia | E-commerce marketplace | 60.2 | Bukalapak's marketplace platform made Zaky a major Indonesian digital-commerce founder. |
| 99 | Kuok Khoon HongAgribusiness CEO | Chairman and CEO, Wilmar International | Singapore and global | Agribusiness and food processing | 59.8 | Wilmar's food and edible-oils supply chain kept Kuok central to Asian agribusiness. |
| 100 | Sunny VergheseAgribusiness and supply-chain CEO | Co-founder and Group CEO, Olam International | Singapore and global | Agribusiness and supply chains | 59.4 | Olam's global agricultural supply-chain model made Verghese a major Singapore-based enterprise leader. |
No leaders match the current filters.
Methodology
How InfluenceAsia Built The Ranking
Ranking Model
InfluenceAsia applied a 100-point editorial research model across seven dimensions: 2018 Strategic Contribution, Operating Performance, Market Influence, Innovation and Technology Relevance, Regional and Global Reach, Institutional Quality, and Stewardship and Long-Term Value.
Evaluation Period
The editorial record was assessed through 31 December 2018. Later achievements, scandals, exits, deaths, regulatory outcomes, IPO aftereffects, market collapses or reputational reversals are not used as ranking evidence in this edition.
Contribution Screen
High placement requires a clear 2018 contribution: a major acquisition, listing, launch, consolidation, transformation, expansion, platform shift, digital infrastructure buildout, financial-sector reform, industrial leadership, turnaround or national-scale business effect.
Editorial Judgment
Final placement reflects InfluenceAsia's independent editorial judgment after research normalization. The index is not a market-cap ranking, net-worth ranking, revenue ranking, shareholder-return table, endorsement product, employment certification or investment recommendation.
2018 Strategic Contribution
24%
The leader's identifiable contribution to company direction, market structure or sector development during 2018.
Launches, listings, acquisitions, competitive shifts, turnarounds, reforms, financing, geographic expansion and business-model changes.
Operating Performance
17%
The leader's ability to convert strategy into scale, execution, resilience and measurable business quality.
Growth, profitability, adoption, quality control, operational discipline, digital migration, platform scale and execution under pressure.
Market Influence
16%
The degree to which the leader changed behavior across consumers, competitors, regulators, suppliers or capital markets.
Category creation, price disruption, platform effects, national impact, global influence and industry benchmark setting.
Innovation And Technology Relevance
13%
The leader's contribution to digital, industrial, product, process or platform innovation.
Cloud, AI, mobile internet, payments, semiconductors, logistics, electric vehicles, telecom networks, enterprise software and manufacturing systems.
Regional And Global Reach
11%
The leader's relevance beyond a single domestic market.
International expansion, regional platforms, global acquisitions, export competitiveness, cross-border capital and Asian brand-building.
Institutional Quality
10%
The strength of the organization, governance, leadership system and talent model associated with the CEO.
Succession, managerial depth, risk control, culture, professionalization, compliance, accountability and organizational adaptability.
Stewardship And Long-Term Value
9%
The leader's contribution to durable enterprise value, social trust and responsible market development as visible in 2018.
Financial inclusion, infrastructure value, employment, sustainability, governance, customer trust and credible long-term orientation.
Copyright / Legal
Copyright, Research Notes And Legal Disclaimers
InfluenceAsia 100: Asia's Top CEOs 2018 is an original editorial and research ranking prepared under the InfluenceAsia name. The ranking structure, annual thesis, research dimensions, written summaries, ordering logic and presentation language are original to this edition.
Names, company names, titles, sector descriptors and public career descriptors are used for identification, editorial commentary and business-leadership analysis.
Inclusion does not imply endorsement, sponsorship, partnership, employment relationship, investment recommendation, legal certification or commercial affiliation between InfluenceAsia and any listed person, company, shareholder, government body, investor, exchange, product or rights holder.
The order is not copied from any external awards body, wealth list, media list, company valuation, market-cap table, stock index, conference roster, annual-report ranking or institutional scorecard.
The edition is written from a 2018 publication perspective and deliberately avoids later-career evidence. Public facts should be rechecked before legal, commercial, investor-facing or archival publication.
The ranking is business analysis and editorial opinion. It is not legal advice, investment advice, employment advice, procurement advice, corporate-governance certification or a definitive measure of executive performance.
Copyrights, trademarks, company marks, logos, product names, publicity rights, investor materials, annual reports, data, photographs and related intellectual property remain with their respective owners.
This data pack may be used as source copy for an InfluenceAsia webpage, editorial feature, ranking interface, searchable database, card-based profile page, long-form article or design prototype, provided the ranking is presented as an InfluenceAsia original editorial list.