20 for 2020: LinkedIn CEO Profiles to Watch

Sep 16, 2020 | Executive Social, LinkedIn, Social CEO

(This list has been updated in 2024; see Excellent CEO LinkedIn Profiles)

With virtually all of your business interactions now virtual, your online presence has gone from a nice-to-have to absolutely essential. Whether you love social media, or only reluctantly log on, in 2020 CEOs wield their powerful, social media personas as critical business tools.

You can learn what works from these CEOs. They use LinkedIn’s newest features, engage with both internal and external stakeholders, and define their personal brand. Let’s take a closer look at these social CEOs, and see what they do so well.

Kevin Krim LinkedIn

Kevin Krim

CEO of EDO & Chair of great non-profit

Kevin uses his headline to not only talk about his career, but his passion as the chair of a non-profit. His About section covers his expertise, but more importantly, it highlights his leadership philosophy.

Cody Lummus LinkedIn

Cody Lummus

Chief Executive Officer at Delos Capital Advisors

Cody makes a strong statement with his About section, as he immediately positions his firm as unique and creative. His polished profile also exudes stability — a subtle and reassuring sign to current and potential investors.

Shamsh Hadi LinkedIn

Shamsh Hadi

Co-Founder and CEO at ZorroSign, Inc. | Advisory Board Member at ADCG

With a well-rounded profile that includes certifications, membership in professional organizations, and keyword-rich copy, Shamsh clearly has impeccable CEO credentials.

Jett McCandless

Jett McCandless

Founder & CEO of project44

Jett is an accomplished executive, as evidenced by his thoughtfully crafted Work Experience section. The descriptions of his roles prior to CEO reflect on the skills and accomplishments that contribute to his success today.

Janna Westbrook

Janna Westbrook

CEO of Provider Pool (Techstars ’20)

Janna opts for an About section written in the third person, yet it still conveys the personal story about the need she saw in nursing and how she set out to fill it. As CEO of a startup, she includes the name of the business accelerator promoting her company.

Carlos Sluman

Carlos Sluman

CEO at Beliv Company

Carlos highlights his ability to speak three languages by having his profile available in all of them: English, Spanish, and Portuguese. If you aren’t sure how to find this feature, it’s visible on the right side of a personal profile.

Dusty Davidson

Dusty Davidson

Co-founder & CEO at Flywheel

CEOs like Dusty know prospective employees research companies before joining a new team, so his profile is dedicated to drawing top talent to his firm. He shares information about company culture, as well as venture capital funding, to lure new hires.

Sara Blakely

Sara Blakely

Founder & CEO of SPANX

LinkedIn designates Sara as an Influencer — a leader in her field who demonstrates thought leadership on social media. She’s unabashedly proud of her personal story and uses her virtual platform on LinkedIn to promote issues that empower women.

Mahe Bayireddi

Mahe Bayireddi

CEO & Co-Founder of Phenom

Mahe’s warm smile invites you to explore his profile. His business uses artificial intelligence to connect employers and employees, yet there is nothing automated or cookie cutter about his About, which emphasizes his personal, professional philosophy.

Brian Lacey

Brian Lacey

CEO at Mobomo

Brian uses LinkedIn’s Featured section, which allows him to showcase links, documents, photos, and other media, at the top of his profile. It serves as an online portfolio of his accomplishments leading Mobomo.

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Mary Ann Gomez Orta

Mary Ann Gomez Orta

CEO of Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute

As CEO of a non-profit, Mary Ann uses her profile to promote her organization’s upcoming events, and the media in her Featured section provide an overview of what she and her organization believe in.

Satya Nadella

Henry Cialone

President and CEO of EWI

Henry uses LinkedIn’s long-form publishing platform to share articles with his followers. A frequent blogger, he explores a variety of topics that his clients care about.

Satya Nadella

Satya Nadella

Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft

Satya’s profile doesn’t detail his work experience, yet once you get to a certain level, you don’t necessarily need the detail. But until you arrive, make it easy for people to appreciate the traction you’ve achieved, and remember: keywords here increase findability.

Sam Gilliland

Sam Gilliland

Chief Executive Officer of Accelya Group

Sam’s profile is clean and crisp. He reaches a broad audience because he talks about his company’s complex software without being too technical or watering it down.

Padmasree Warrior

Padmasree Warrior

Founder, President and CEO at Fable

Who says you can’t have it all? Padmasree’s profile hits all the high points: engaging graphics, recent media in the Featured section, posts about recruitment, and a robust Interests section that fills her news feed with relevant material.

Maree Moscati

Parker Morse

Founder and CEO of MyCode

Parker Morse balances his achievements and awards with humility — for a profile that shares not only where he’s been, but where he plans on going next.

Maree Moscati

Maree Moscati

CEO at Copytalk LLC

Maree wants to connect with her customers first, so she dives right in with an About section that addresses the challenges her clients face and how she can help solve those problems.

Peter Heintzelman

Peter Heintzelman

CEO of Benjamin Manufacturing LLC

Peter’s profile is the gold standard for CEOs. His engaging headline includes the verticals his company works in, he uses a custom URL and his Featured section contains his latest blog along with other company news.

Steven Wolfe Pereira

Steven Wolfe Pereira

CEO & Co-Founder at Encantos

Most businesspeople would agree that emojis are for texting, not LinkedIn. But Steven isn’t most people. He works in a creative industry, where a lightning bolt next to his name just seems right. 

Fraser Traverse

Fraser Traverse

Chief Executive Officer of Traverse Jobs

LinkedIn is so much more than a jobs site, and that’s something employment database CEO Fraser understands. Her online commentary centers around skill building, as well as practical advice for employees and employers alike.

That’s quite a list, isn’t it? But while we were searching for excellent examples of CEO profiles, we were surprised by how many incomplete profiles we found.

Does your profile have any holes? Check out our eBook below.

How to Craft a CEO Brand on LinkedIn – 2023 Edition

The ultimate LinkedIn branding guide to build a strong personal brand, position yourself as a thought leader, and raise your visibility on LinkedIn.

How to Craft CEO Brand on LinkedIn by Judy Schramm (2023 Edition)

Who else should read this? Please share!

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