1. Antonio Neri
President, CEO
Hewlett Packard Enterprise

Hewlett Packard Enterprise President and CEO Antonio Neri provided a lesson in how to lead during a crisis, stepping up time and time again for partners, customers and employees.

Call it meeting the moment. At a time when leadership mattered most, Neri rose above this year’s class of Most Influential executives, providing a calm and steady hand, an open heart and an unflinching commitment to partners.

That unwavering commitment to the channel resulted in $2 billion in financing for an HPE Financial Services payment relief program and increased liquidity for HPE partners with extended payment terms for HPE distributors. But it was more than the financial commitment that set Neri apart: It was his personal commitment to partners, customers and employees.

Just as importantly, Neri provided a compelling vison for the future for partners, doubling down on his big bold bet to deliver the full HPE portfolio in an as-a-service model by 2022 with an unmatched consumption-based cloud experience for customers from the edge to the core to the cloud.

As the leader of the World Economic Forum CEO Champions Group on Accelerating Digital Transformation in a Post-COVID-19 world, Neri—who himself was diagnosed with the disease in June—said he sees the pandemic as an opportunity to create a brighter future as part of a shift from the information era to a new age of insight. That new era, Neri said, will be defined by insight and discoveries that “elevate the well-being of every human on this planet, by becoming digital-first, ensuring equality for all, and embracing partnership.”

Everyone deserves to live freely and with equal access to digital services, said Neri. “We have to do better as a society and as leaders. Together, we can make a difference and be a force for good.”