Forbes’ Global Game Changers List – How it works

Forbes Magazine has annouced its second Global Game Changers List and features 25 individuals who are “unsatisfied with the status quo” and are “transforming their industries and changing the lives of billions of people around the globe”.
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries was featured for “bringing the internet to India’s masses”. The magazine noted that the “Oil and gas tycoon entered the country’s telecom market with a bang, offering fast internet at dirt cheap prices. Gained 100 million customers in six months and set off a wave of consolidation in the market”.
Among the list are business leaders who are working to transform the workplace to it make fun, engaging and productive. Slack’s co-founder, Stewart Butterfield is one such business leader. The magazine notes that “Slack is now evolving into something of a corporate nervous system at scores of businesses”. Scott Farquhar and Mike Cannon-Brookes, co-founders of Atlassian, a business productivity tool that enables workplace collaboration tool were recognized for helping teams tackle complex tasks. Another entrepreneur featured on the list is Adam Neumann, cofounder of WeWork, a company that rents out co-working spaces with “perks like arcade rooms and on-site beer kegs”.
The youngest on the list are Snap’s 26-year-old CEO Evan Spiegel and Stripe’s co-founders John and Patrick Collison, who are 26 and 28 respectively and run a digital payments company. The oldest individual on the list is Christo Wiese, a 75-year-old Chairman of Steinhoff, a South African retail company.
Here's the complete list:
Name | Designation and Company | Country |
Mukesh Ambani, 60 | Chairman, Reliance Industries | India |
Ziv Aviram, 58 Amnon Shashua, 56 | Cofounders, Mobileye | Israel |
Stewart Butterfield, 44 | Cofounder, Slack | United States |
John and Patrick Collison, 26, 28 | Cofounders, Stripe | United States |
Scott Farquhar, 37, Mike Cannon-Brookes, 37 | Cofounders, Atlassian | Australia |
Larry Fink, 64 | Cofounder, BlackRock | United States |
Ken Frazier, 62 | CEO, Merck | United States |
Taavet Hinrikus, 35, Kristo Käärmann, 36 | Cofounders, TransferWise | United Kingdom |
Robert Katz, 50 | CEO, Vail | United States |
David Kong, 62 | Founder, Nirvana Asia | Malaysia |
Jeff Lawson, 39 | Founder, Twilio | United States |
Adam Neumann, 38 | Cofounder, WeWork | United States |
Gabe Newell, 54 | Cofounder, Valve | United States |
Zhou Qunfei, 47 | Founder, Lens Technology | China |
Michael Rapino, 51 | CEO, Live Nation | United States |
Mohammed bin Salman, 31 | Deputy Crown Prince | Saudi Arabia |
Evan Spiegel, 26 | Cofounder, Snap | United States |
Judy Wenhong Tong, 46 | Chairwoman, Cainiao | China |
Hamdi Ulukaya, 44 | Founder, Chobani | United States |
Cheng Wei, 34 | Founder, Didi Chuxing | China |
Christo Wiese, 75 | Chairman, Steinhoff | South Africa |
Anne Wojcicki, 43 | Cofounder, 23andMe | United States |
Here’s how the methodology works:
- Hundreds of companies are screened for growth, innovation and global footprint
- Shortlisted business leaders should run for-profit operations with a market value of at least $1 billion
- Trailblazers are selected based on the ingenuity of the idea and the ability to bring about change.
Mukesh Ambani is the only Indian to feature on 2017 list. The inaugural list launched in 2016 featured three Indians including Cyrus Poonawalla, Chairman and Managing Director of Serum Institute of India, Sunny Varkey, Founder and Chairman of GEMS Education and Rahul Bhatia, a whole-time Director at InterGlobe Enterprises.