Business today moves fast, but real leadership goes deeper. The individuals shaping the future are not simply pursuing growth; they are challenging outdated rules, rebuilding tired systems, and prioritizing long-term value over short-term success. These leaders understand that companies rise and fall like empires, and what sustains them is not their size or speed, but trusted leadership that inspires belief.
๐๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐โ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ
The 10 business leaders featured in this article are unique in the ways they lead. They recognize that leadership is no longer about dominance or titles. Instead, it is about transparency, collaboration, and shared ownership. These individuals represent this shift by prioritizing models that place people, teamwork, and adaptability at the core.
1. Dr. Adil Dalal: Setting a New Gold Standard for Global Leadership
From the historic chambers of the House of Lords to the boardrooms of Davos, Dr. Adil Dalal has emerged as one of the most influential voices reshaping how global organizations approach transformation. As CEO of Pinnacle Process Solutions International, this Forbes Executive Council member has orchestrated over 350 large-scale transformation programs across five continents, establishing himself as the architect of change for Fortune 500 companies, government institutions, and emerging enterprises alike.
His methodology transcends conventional consulting. By weaving together Lean Six Sigma principles with neuroscience and artificial intelligence rigor and a profound understanding of human dynamics, Dr. Dalal has created what industry leaders call a transformational blueprint that delivers measurable results while enhancing organizational culture. His illustrious career has been marked with eighteen global awards, including the prestigious Shingo Research Award, ASQ Philip Crosby Medal, Global Leadership, and Positive Legacy Impact awards, validating his position among the worldโs elite thought leaders in operational excellence.
As the author of seven groundbreaking books, including Lean-AI, which defines the future model of Operational Excellence, and The V-Factor, which provides a formula for neuro-excellence, and the host of the critically acclaimed television series A Superconscious Leader, Dr. Dalal bridges the gap between Eastern wisdom and Western business acumen. His keynote addresses at international forums have captivated audiences from Austin to Argentina and beyond, offering not just strategies but a philosophy of leadership that balances performance imperatives with human potential.
Beyond his corporate achievements, Dr. Dalalโs influence extends to shaping global policy and practice. As Chair of the American Society for Quality Lean Enterprise Division and U.S. Board Member of the U.S.-India Chamber of Commerce, he orchestrates cross-continental collaborations that drive economic growth and innovation. His training programs have empowered over 9,500 leaders worldwide, creating a ripple effect of excellence that touches twenty-five industries.
In an era where organizations face unprecedented complexity, Dr. Dalal represents a rare synthesis: the strategic vision of a CEO, the intellectual depth of an academic, and the practical wisdom of a practitioner who has navigated transformation in the worldโs most challenging environments. He is not just setting standards for global leadership; he is redefining whatโs possible when purpose meets performance.
๐๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ง | Facebook | ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐
2.Dr. Hassan Al-Mannai: Advancing Service Excellence Through Research, Teaching, and Resilience
Dr. Hassan Abdulla Al-Mannai is a Qatari scholar, researcher, and professional instructor whose interest is evident in the area of service excellence. He obtained his PhD in Management at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom. His doctoral work examined service organizations in Qatar and their ability to maintain relationships with customers in the context of the political and economic blockade. This paper analyzed practical issues that occurred in strained organizations. In addition, he researched their mechanisms of safeguarding both the quality of service and customer confidence. His studies emphasized changeable operation, adaptive communication, and relation-based marketing. These results were practical rather than theoretical.ย
Dr. Al-Mannai is an active participant in the Qatari human development activities as an educator. He lectures at various colleges and also conducts professional training for working professionals. His approach to teaching bridges the gap between theory and practice in the business. He assists the learners to learn about services marketing, customer relationship management, and crisis preparedness. In addition, his workshops are devoted to leadership, communication, and informed decision-making. He appreciates clarity, relevance, and application. Through his work, he helps people to develop skills that are relevant in environments that are in a state of continuous change. He directly helps in building national capability through teaching and training.
In general, Dr. Al-Mannai has a strong vision to contribute to the long-term development of Qatar and its stability. His work is consistent with the national development priorities and preparation for the future. He concentrates on preparing future generations for leading positions and building strong organizations with the help of research-informed practice. His systems are feasible and based on the local environment. He believes that good relationships are key pillars of sustainable performance. He still helps organizations that are in complexity through education, research, and training. His mission is full of intent, self-control, and service to the community. Dr. The work of al-Mannai can be regarded as a consistent contribution to the stable leadership and customer-based development in Qatar and other countries.
๐๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ง | ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆย
3. Gunnar Wulf: Building Digital Clarity Through Vision, Structure, and Leadership
Gunnar Wulfโs professional journey began more than 25 years ago in global IT development. From the start, he worked across regions worldwide, gaining broad technical and cultural insight. Over time, he grew into an IT leader and business enabler. His focus moved beyond systems to people, processes, and value creation. He supported digital and transparent business operations through innovative IT platforms. His career spans several sectors, with strong experience in food and pharmacy. He also served as a business leader in operations and as a board member. These roles shaped his balanced view of strategy and execution. He learned how technology supports growth when aligned with business needs. This early phase laid the foundation for his long-term impact.
As his career advanced, Gunnar built a strong record in strategy and transformation. He developed and aligned company and IT strategies across complex organizations. He led project and process management efforts and helped create nearly 100 best practice processes. His business vision focused on market expansion, new sales channels, and shared business ecosystems. He supported transparency in consumer behavior through digital platforms. Innovation, market intelligence, and data standardization were key priorities. To support this, he defined a clear IT vision. It included integrated applications, shared data platforms, and harmonized processes. He also emphasized reliable infrastructure and scalable operating models. His approach always connected performance with measurable business value.
Last year, Gunnar founded his independent role as an Interim IT Manager. In this role, he brought his experience to organizations facing change. He is reputed to construct high-performance teams based on rules and trust. His style of work is analytical, methodical, and goal-oriented. His strengths are also strategy, digital transformation, and portfolio management. By 2025, he had already been able to seal an extensive ERP transformation program. He served as Interim EMEA Program Manager during this effort. So, this milestone reflects his ability to lead complex change. Gunnar Wulfโs journey shows how clarity, discipline, and vision create lasting digital progress.
๐๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ง | ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐
4. Michel Wichman: Crafting Enduring Success Through Authentic Hospitality and Purpose
Michel Wichmanโs journey began in the Netherlands, in the Eindhoven region, where his early curiosity shaped a clear career path. He trained in hotel management and business administration before building his professional life in Switzerland. Over more than thirty years, he also grew into a Dutch-Swiss hotelier with strong operational and strategic skills. His work life was a backup of practical leadership and a self-stated mind. Between 2004 and 2011, he worked in the Grand Hotel Bellevue in Gstaad as a General Manager. He made the hotel stronger in terms of positioning, service culture, and performance in this very competitive destination. These years solidified his thinking that being in the hospitality industry requires consistency, people, and vision.
In December 2013,He founded Hotel Spitzhorn in Saanen-Gstaad through Wichman Horeca AG, which he owns. Since its opening, the hotel has been recognized for more than twelve consecutive years as the leading winter hotel in its category in Switzerland. Hotel Spitzhorn follows a clear philosophy. It offers three-star classification, four-star comfort and service, and a five-star Alpine setting. The chalet-style hotel includes around fifty rooms, a seasonal brasserie, and full wellness facilities. Its guiding principle, โthe lightness of being,โ reflects Michelโs modern and honest approach to hospitality, rooted in quality without excess.
Alongside hotel operations, Michel is the sole owner of SwissGlobe Group AG. The company advises hotel owners, investors, and developers across the full project lifecycle. SwissGlobe Group AG also initiated The Mansard in Gstaad with Rahul and Kapil Bhatia. Built on trust and shared values, the project reached strong market positioning. Michel later exited successfully by selling his shares in InterGlobe Gstaad AG. Beyond business, he co-founded and served as president of The Best 3-Star Hotels of Switzerland. He will release his first book in January 2026 with Remote Verlag, and it is called โ Die radikale Wahrheit รผber Erfolgโ. It portrays his attitude that with patience, values, and hard work, one will achieve long-term success.
๐๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ง | ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐
5. Jurgens Minnaar: Building Leadership Through Purpose, Performance, and Integrity
Jurgens Minnaar started with a good background and values. He grew up on a farm and was taught to work. His concept of success was developed based on faith, honesty, and service. At the age of 30, he was already developing a great academic career. He graduated with a BSc (Hons) degree in Geology, which was followed by an MBA and a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Management. He subsequently entered the Harvard Business School Program for Leadership Development, PLD42, together with a group of senior executives worldwide. Jurgens also sees education as a tool, not a title. He believes learning matters most when it helps others grow. This belief became central to his leadership style and daily work.
Jurgens rose to the top in the shortest period of time in the agrichemical industry, which was only five years. He has been promoted twice, and currently he heads a performing business unit, having full P&L responsibility. He is a member of the Leadership Team and deals with strategic alliances with multinationals. His role also includes driving regional market expansion. Previously, he was the Regional Project Manager in Africa, the Middle East, and Pakistan, where he headed over 150 ongoing projects in 64 countries. This practice also required discipline, cross-cultural sensitivity, and cross-border trust building. Jurgens became known for calm decision-making during change. His recognition as an Under 30 Global Business Leader by the Global Business Elite Awards reflects both results and character.
What truly defines Jurgens is how he leads people. He builds learning cultures where teams feel valued and supported. He commits greatly to the development of the self, rather than quantitative measures. He has a moral compass and therefore does not think that success without integrity is anything worthwhile. He favors agriculture and is still involved in the farming business with his family. Every role he holds reflects responsibility and care. For Jurgens, leadership is not about status or praise. His experience demonstrates that ambition and humility may coincide. Jurgens Minnaar is creating a legacy that will be remembered and hold some significance of its own through consistent efforts and human concern.
๐๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ง |ย
6. Philippe Gerwill: Leading Healthcare Innovation with a Human-Centered Vision
People first guide the journey of Philippe Gerwill. Since the start of his career, he has concentrated on making technology meaningful rather than functional. He focuses on the area of healthcare, artificial intelligence, and new technologies, continually trying to change the situation to benefit individuals and society. Gerwill is the proponent of the digital humanism philosophy, where ethics, inclusion, and human impact are the guiding factors behind any decision. He also thinks that technology ought to empower, rather than substitute people, and that innovation ought to reinvigorate purpose and meaning to care. Such a strategy has made him have a reputation as a prudent and visionary leader.
Philippe, as a futurist, advisor, board member, and international keynote speaker, has worked with innovators, leaders of healthcare, policymakers, and educators around the world. He interprets the world of complex tools, such as AI, data analytics, digital twins, and immersive technologies, into a solution that is clinician-friendly, scalable, and trusted. His work contributes to uncovering a paradigm shift in healthcare from being reactive, based on sick care, to being preventive, personalized, and proactive. Gerwill makes sure that technology brings value and enhances lives by designing systems on which clinicians can count, and patients can make sense. His international activities focus on responsible innovation, getting technical potential to human needs.
Balance and responsibility are the core concepts of the vision of Philippe Gerwill. In addition, he feels that technology must improve human intelligence and lessen the burdens, as well as lengthen healthy life years without compromising empathy and dignity. All his efforts are aimed at social good in the long term, an ethical basis, and human relatedness. Through digital transformation alignment with purpose, he still manages to motivate organizations to use tools that are technologically advanced and human-centered. Gerwill, also through his work, shows how healthcare innovation is successful when it is beneficial to the human race and not only technology. He can be seen as having an unusual sense of foresight, pragmatism, and human empathy that have led to the creation of a future in which healthcare is technologically advanced and deeply human.
๐๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ง | ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ | Facebook
7. Nicolas Sherwood Courquet: Enhancing Airworthiness with Expertise and Innovation
Nicolas Sherwood Courquet has experience of almost fifteen years in the maintenance of aircraft and the continuing airworthiness. He has spent the last five years in technical and managerial positions as a leader, directing complex fleet transitions and high-stakes operations to both civil and military customers. His job cuts across CAMO governance, aircraft status reconstruction, regulatory compliance, tenders, and multi-platform MIS integration. He has also headed programs with various fleets, including the H225, NH90, A320 family, Boeing aircraft, and ATR, which demonstrates his ability to handle complexity in the global aircraft industry. He has gained a lot of knowledge and has a strict method that qualifies him as a leader to be trusted in the area.
Nicolas, as Continuing Airworthiness Consultant and Interface Manager, coordinates across organizational borders, engages with customers, and makes operational decisions. He manages technical projects like PPIs, aircraft repossessions, development of maintenance programs, and risk-based operational appraisals. Moreover, his work allows complete compliance with the requirements of EASA Part M/145 and EMAR M and the highest level of safety and compliance. Nicolas has further featured decisively in competitive tenders by influencing technical strategy, work package design, and ensuring authoritative CAMO expertise that has led to the direct contract award to major international operators.
In addition to the day-to-day activities, Nicolas is geared towards digital transformation of the technical organizations, operational excellence, and strict airworthiness governance. He points out the need to combine data, processes, and teams to enhance traceability, eliminate risk, and provide predictable and high-reliability results. He also brings leadership together with practical experience in the field and regulatory expertise to take the airworthiness operations to a strategic, value-based level. The work by Nicolas Sherwood Courquet shows that technical proficiency, strategic foresight, and innovation can turn aviation maintenance into a professional, progressive, and reliable field.
๐๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ง
8. Javad Elasseri: Building Success Through Vision and Leadership
Javad Elasseri has proven himself as a pioneer in the construction and engineering industry. Being the Chief Executive Officer of Zurich and Co., along with being a board director of My Rich Uncle Holdings, has seen him preside over organizations where he has spearheaded the organization in offering integrated solutions in the fields of civil engineering, MEP, engineering design, and facility management. Javad has also pursued a balance between efficiency and innovation and long-term value creation with a very keen focus on operational excellence. His leadership has been felt in the entire Gulf region, where he has earned a reputation for having the ability to integrate technical skills with strategic prowess.
Javad had a good academic background, which shaped his career. He received a master’s degree in Engineering Management at the University of Bedfordshire, London, which provided him with the knowledge to administer the complex engineering work and also to run an organization. Under his management, Zurich & Co. has increased its market position through quality engineering and construction solutions, gained the trust of the customers, and has quality personnel. In addition, his style is team-oriented, precise, and sustainable, something necessary to deliver projects on time, within the budget, and with long-term implications.
He has also integrated the new engineering practices and sustainable growth strategies into his work and considers that leadership is not all about profit but benefits in the long term for both society and the environment. Javad Elasseri is a modern-day executive who is very clear and purposeful in leadership by incorporating vision, discipline, and people-centered leadership. All in all, his career is not only a career of professional success but also a commitment to excellence, responsibility, and future generations of engineers and builders in the construction sector.
๐๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ง
9. Cindy Murray, MBA, CMA: A Legacy of Care in Finance and Leadership
Cindy Murray’s professional life began with discipline and responsibility because of her early experiences on the family farm. At the age of 24, she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness and an MBA from Morehead State University. During her education, she was a graduate assistant in the horsemanship program, performing farm duties that included 100 head of cattle, 10,000 chickens, and 10 nursing sows. These are some of the initial experiences that developed her work ethic, patience, and attention to detail. She started working in the state government in 1985 as an accountant in the Kentucky Board of Hairdressers, where accuracy, cooperation, and regularity became her motto. These initial years influenced her perception that financial decisions are always human in nature.
Her career went through the Kentucky Cabinet of Human Resources and the Cabinet of Health and Family Services. Shifting the accounting to the health planning, she was working directly with the systems that impacted the everyday lives of Kentucky families. May 1995 saw Cindy assume the key position of health planner in a significant healthcare reform under Governor Brereton Jones. She conducted statewide town meetings, answered citizens’ questions, and assisted in reducing unfair insurance companies, covering pre-existing illnesses. Her skills were enhanced as she received the Certified Management Accountant status, which enhanced her skills to manage complicated budgets and make vital decisions in a clear and understandable manner.
Cindy later joined the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission as lead analyst, overseeing the $13-billion budget of the Cabinet, and as Chief Financial Officer of the Cabinet on Health and Family Services. She has been instrumental in such programs as the Kentucky Children’s Health Insurance Program, which currently attracts more than 85,000 children with over 200 million in federal funds annually. In 2018, she joined Murray Group as a licensed insurance agent, 33 years after beginning her career in the government in 1985. She also has her own business, Triple M Stables LLC, and, on top of that, she is still being recognized; in 2024, she appears on the cover of Insight Success magazine as one of the most powerful and influential personalities. Career history of Cindy emphasizes a consistent dedication to work, a people-centered management concept, and principles of trust gained by hard work.
๐๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐งย
10. Skip York: Making Strategy Clear, Practical, and Human
The path of Skip York started with a strong interest in the way systems operate and how decisions determine the results. This fascination made him pursue a PhD in Economics at the University of Virginia, where he was taught to study complicated issues with care and discipline. His initial career brought him to big multinationals like ExxonMobil and BHP, and consequently to some of the best consultancy firms like McKinsey and Company and Charles River Associates. In such settings, Skip developed the skill of being able to think straight and talk straight. He also learned that no matter how complex ideas may be, their value cannot be wasted when people fail to understand them or apply them. In the long run, this belief led him to the field of strategy work, where clarity is the most important.
As his experience increased, Skip noticed a disjunction between strategy on paper and strategy in the day-to-day work. This knowledge prompted him to establish DSC Advising, LLC. He assists leadership teams to confront uncertainty in an organized and candid way through this firm. His work revolves around five questions: purpose, where to compete, how to compete, what capabilities matter, and how success is measured. Skip challenges teams to test assumptions and rethink habits that are no longer useful to them. In the case of DSC Advising, the process and outcomes belong to the clients. This strategy fosters credibility and loyalty, making the strategy more of a roadmap and not an inflexible plan.
Besides the advisory practice, Skip continues to influence thinking by writing and mentoring. His forthcoming book, Mind the Gap: How Leaders Move the Current State to Future Aspiration, is an indication of his ideology that strategy must be used to make real decisions and not be a shelf reference. He educates leaders on how implementation is half as much as ideas, and that the meaning of work is in alignment. The power of Skip is seen in greater focus, more effective decisions, and purposeful teams. His path is one that shows a consistent approach towards discipline, precision, and shared prosperity by showing that strategy is best executed when individuals have a good grasp of it and practice it on a daily basis
๐๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐๐๐ง | ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐
Conclusion
Overall, these ten business leaders represent the true future of business. Although they come from different industries and follow different paths, their core philosophy remains the same. They act with intention, remain steady under pressure, and stay focused on long-term goals. For them, innovation, resilience, and responsibility are not side initiatives but fundamental principles.
Their journeys offer more than inspiration โ they provide direction. They highlight that the new definition of success is not measured by revenue or size, but by impact, trust, and the ability to empower others to evolve. These leaders set strong examples of how to respond to emerging challenges. Strong leadership still matters. Vision still matters. And those who lead with purpose will always shape the future.
๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ :-
