20 for 2020: LinkedIn CEO Profiles to Watch

With virtually all of your business now being virtual, your online presence has gone from nice-but-not-necessary to absolutely essential. Whether you love social media, or only reluctantly log on, 2020 executives wield their powerful, social media personas as critical business tools.

While you might not be a CEO (yet), you can learn from their profiles. We found 20 CEOs who maximize their virtual voice on LinkedIn. They use the site's newest features, engage with both internal and external stakeholders, and define their personal brand. Let's take a look at these social CEOs.

Kevin Krim – CEO of EDO, a data, measurement and analytics co for marketing, research and creative pros (& 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 – 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 – Using Blockchain Technology to Deliver Secure Digital Transactions Worldwide | 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 — Founder and CEO of project44 | Transforming Logistics and Transportation

Jett is a well-rounded 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 — CEO of Provider Pool (Techstars '20)

Janna opts for an About section written in the third person, yet it still conveys the very 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 — 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. Even if a CEO isn't multilingual, it's smart for multinational executives to have profiles in different languages.

Dusty Davidson — Looking for amazing people to join the Flywheel team. Interested? – Co-founder & CEO at Flywheel

Tech companies face stiff competition to fill highly skilled roles in computer software and engineering. 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 — Founder and 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 — Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder I Chief Listener & Recruiter I AI in Talent Experience

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 — CEO at Mobomo | Where Design Meets Data : Creative Digital Agency Capturing Data & Engaging Users With Elegant Design

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.

Mary Ann Gomez Orta — Diverse points of view create exponentially better results for all.

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.

Henry Cialone — Cutting-Edge Technologies and Strategic Services for Global Businesses | Innovator | President and CEO

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 — CEO at Microsoft

How much experience is enough? Look at Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. His 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. Satya's LinkedIn posts laser-focus on real-life applications of Microsoft's technology, which makes both the behemoth company and its CEO more relatable.

Sam Gilliland — Chief Executive Officer | Technology Executive | Tech Firm Board Member

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 — 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.

Parker Morse — Founder and CEO | Authentic, Mission-driven Leadership | Connecting Brands with US Hispanic Audiences | CSQ 40 Under 40

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 CEO CTPRP — 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. She includes her certification in the Name section, as it's an important part of the services she provides. She spells out the certification later in her profile, but including the acronym helps with search engine optimization.

Peter Heintzelman — President and CEO | Dynamic Leader, Board Director, and Change Agent | Global Experience in the Energy, Services, and Manufacturing Sectors

Peter's profile is the gold standard for CEOs. His engaging headline includes the verticals his company works in, he uses a custom URL (which makes his profile more prominent in browser searches), and his Featured section contains his latest blog along with other company news.

Steven Wolfe Pereira — CEO & Co-Founder at Encantos, the leading entertainment-driven edtech company

Most businesspeople would agree that emojis are for texting, not LinkedIn. But Steven isn't most people. He works in a creative industry, where the lightning bolt next to his name just seems right. His posts take a firm stand on diversity and inclusion, as more stakeholders want to see CEOs lead on those issues.

Fraser Traverse — I help people find their dream jobs in D.C. and across the country in politics, policy, and PR.

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 new eBook, LinkedIn Playbook for CEOs, and quickly learn the most critical parts of a social media profile. You don't have to be a CEO to look like one on LinkedIn.