Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-chair and Pivotal Ventures founder Melinda Gates topped LinkedIn’s annual Top Voices list for 2020, while the marketing and advertising category was paced by Gannett chief marketing and strategy officer Mayur Gupta.
The professional network compiles the list by examining all sharing activity on its platform from Oct. 1, 2019, through Sept. 30, 2020, and using a combination of quantitative and qualitative signals including engagement (comments, reactions and shares), follower growth and posting cadence.
Editors for LinkedIn News then refine and curate the list by examining candidates’ body of work for factors like contributions being conversational, insightful and timely, as well as seeking to give and get help, rather than being simply promotional, and reflecting the world we live and work in today.
Current LinkedIn and Microsoft employees are ineligible, as are members being paid by the professional network to participate in brand campaigns or courses.
LinkedIn’s Top Voices for 2020 were:
- Gates
- Daymond John, founder and CEO, Fubu; founder and CEO, The Shark Group; co-host, Shark Tank
- Brené Brown, research professor
- Mark Cuban, entrepreneur
- Shaun Robinson, author; girls empowerment activist; Emmy Award-winning journalist; producer
- Sara Blakely, founder and CEO, Spanx
- Ray Dalio, founder, co-chief information officer and co-chairman, Bridgewater Associates; bestselling author of Principles: Life & Work
- Whitney Johnson, founder and CEO, WLJ Advisors
- Arne Sorenson, president and CEO, Marriott International
- John Hope Bryant, founder, chairman and CEO, Operation Hope
- John Maeda, chief customer experience officer, Everbridge
- LeVar Burton, actor, director, educator and literacy activist
- David M. Solomon, chairman and CEO, Goldman Sachs
- Angela Duckworth, founder and CEO, Character Lab; psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania
- Laysha Ward, executive vice president and chief external engagement officer, Target
- Arianna Huffington, founder and CEO, Thrive Global
- Gretchen Rubin, bestselling author
- Rafat Ali, CEO and Founder, Skift
- Erika James, dean, The Wharton School
- Eric S. Yuan, founder and CEO, Zoom
And in the marketing and advertising category:
- Gupta
- Steven Wolfe Pereira, CEO and co-founder, Encantos
- Mita Mallick, head of inclusion, equity and impact, Carta
- Katie Mitchell, head of marketing, UserLeap
- Matt Kerbel, vp of marketing, Homie
- Jabari Hearn, senior vp, marketing and entertainment, Westbrook
- Amy Kean, founder, Six Things Impossible; culture editor, Shots
- Noel Mack, chief brand officer, Gymshark
- String Nguyen, founder, The Trusted Voice
- Apolline Adiju, marketing strategist/business development executive
