Most Influential Leaders to Watch in 2026

Influence once meant the biggest title on the door and the longest tenure in the boardroom. This equation no longer explains who actually moves markets. The people setting the agenda in 2026 are often several steps removed from the CEO chair, a division head whose call reroutes a supply chain, a regulator whose ruling reshapes an entire sector overnight, a founder whose product decision quietly rewrites consumer behaviour. TradeFlock’s latest edition, “Most Influential Leaders to Watch in 2026,” tracks ten such figures whose reach extends well beyond their job description.

Our conversations spanned energy, finance, defence technology, media, and public health, with leaders based everywhere from around the world. No two of them arrived at influence the same way, but a common thread ran through nearly every interview – the leaders whose impact lasted were rarely the loudest in the room; they were the ones whose judgment other powerful people quietly deferred to.

This edition brings you the reasoning behind decisions that rarely get explained publicly, the miscalculations these leaders don’t usually admit to, and a clear picture of who is actually setting direction across industries in 2026. Also read our story of the month on Nirmal Purja, also known as Nims or Nimsdai, a Nepali-British mountaineer.

Dr Bashar Jabbar Abdulsattar Aljoraissy

CEO

The Highway Company International LLC

Engineering, construction, investment, logistics, and commercial leadership have shaped Dr. Bashar Jabbar Abdulsattar Aljoraissy’s career across global markets. With more than two decades of executive experience, he has led multidisciplinary businesses, strengthened strategic partnerships, driven digital transformation, and guided operational and investment strategies across the USA, Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, and Jordan. He is also known for building strategic partnerships, leading high-performance executive teams, and fostering innovation and operational excellence.

C.C. Wei

Chairman & CEO

TSMC

Joining TSMC in 1998 and becoming CEO in 2018, C.C. Wei has spent decades shaping the semiconductor industry through technology, manufacturing, and strategic leadership. As Chairman and CEO, he has guided TSMC through rising demand for advanced chips and AI technologies while strengthening its position at the centre of the global semiconductor ecosystem.

Charlotte Murphy

Founder

BelieveInspire™

With more than 35 years across law, entrepreneurship, communications, publishing, and leadership development, Charlotte Murphy has continually reinvented her professional path around purpose and impact. Through BelieveInspire™ and The Mission Hope Movement, she now combines storytelling, brand strategy, executive communications, and mentorship to help leaders and authors turn ideas and experiences into lasting influence.

Deepak Sharma

President - Greater India zone and CEO & MD

Schneider Electric India Pvt. Ltd.

Energy management, industrial automation, mergers and acquisitions, and international business leadership have defined Deepak Sharma’s career across multiple global markets. With nearly 30 years of experience, including more than two decades at Schneider Electric, he has led complex transformations, international operations, and strategic growth initiatives across India, France, China, and the USA.

Jonathan Eldridge

Founder

Soul Focus LLC

Over more than two decades in staffing, professional services, sales, and operations, Jonathan Eldridge has progressed through increasingly broad leadership responsibilities, culminating in his role as Chief Experience Officer at Eight Eleven Group. Today, through Soul Focus, he applies that experience to leadership development, organisational culture, customer experience, and his CARE Framework for building authentic and sustainable leaders.

Juno Ramacha

Head of People & Culture (Canada)

Mastercard Foundation

Strategic HR, employee relations, talent management, and organisational development have defined Juno Ramacha’s 15-year career across the public and private sectors. As Head of People & Culture for Canada at Mastercard Foundation, she brings experience in performance management, engagement, change management, conflict resolution, and strategic HR partnership to help organisations build stronger people and business outcomes.

Ken Peterson

President, CX

QuestionPro

With more than 25 years in customer experience, analytics, research, and business leadership, Ken Peterson has worked across organisations including Ipsos, Nepa AB, and QuestionPro. As President of CX at QuestionPro, he is focused on advancing AI-powered customer experience through predictive analytics, journey intelligence, and automated systems that connect customer insight with measurable business action.

Manish Gupta

Senior Director

Google DeepMind

Artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, research, and technology leadership have defined Dr. Manish Gupta’s career across Google DeepMind, Google, IBM, Xerox, and Goldman Sachs. With decades of research and executive experience, he has led global AI teams, built technology organisations, contributed to pioneering computing systems, and advanced innovation through research, patents, and industry leadership.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao

Chairwoman

VietJet Air

Since co-founding Sovico in 1992, Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo has built a business career spanning aviation, finance, investment, and entrepreneurship. As Chairwoman of VietJet Air and Chairman of Sovico Holdings, she has helped expand businesses across strategic sectors while becoming one of Vietnam’s most recognised business leaders.

Victoria Tzareva

CFO

International finance, restructuring, taxation, and financial transformation have shaped Victoria Tzareva’s career across complex multinational business environments. With more than 15 years of experience, she has led financial operations across multiple jurisdictions, raised significant financing, optimised international structures, strengthened compliance, and driven financial transformation and profitability.