Meet the top 100 business visionaries creating value for the world

52. Satya Nadella

CEO, Microsoft

Satya Nadella joined Microsoft nearly 25 years ago. When he succeeded Steve Ballmer as CEO in 2014, he made it his mission to “change the world through technology that empowers people to do amazing things.” He’s doing just that by breathing new creative life into the company that got its start selling computer software more than 40 years ago.

In the past two years, Nadella has made big changes, suprising some by playing nice with rival tech giants like Salesforce and Apple. He introduced Microsoft Office for the iPad, released apps for iPhone and Android, and bypassed Windows 9 to release the superior Windows 10. He also oversaw the release of the company’s first-ever laptop, the Microsoft Surface Book. But, the most exciting thing to come out of Microsoft since Nadella’s takeover might be HoloLens — virtual reality lenses that project holograms as if they are a part of the living world. On top of all these initiatives, the Indian-born exec has made shareholders happy: The tech giant’s stock rose 19% in 2015.

Nadella also looks out for Microsoft’s nearly 120,000 employees. The company enhanced its parental leave policy last year, now allowing up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave for new mothers and 12 weeks for new fathers. It also announced additional paid holidays and an increased 401(k) match.