2019 Top 10 UHNW and Thought Leaders You Must Follow

As an avid reader and publisher of Pulse and the Billionaire Chronicle, and a PR and Communication Expert, I have listed the top 10 Influencers to follow, based on what you want to learn about leadership and global influence. 

1.The Global Business Guru, Dr. B. R. Shetty

Dr. B. R. Shetty is a Business Leader and Philanthropist. A visionary who follows his heart and intuition, he has explored untapped markets and paved new paths in his successful entrepreneurial journey in UAE. He started his innings in 1974 with the launch of the New Medical Centre (NMC), the first private healthcare facility in UAE. His commitment to providing state-of-the-art facilities enabled NMC to be listed on the London Stock Exchange and included as a part of the coveted FTSE100 index.

The burgeoning expatriate population in UAE triggered the need for a formal and safe money transfer channel. Dr. Shetty sensed an opportunity in that challenge and ventured into the remittance sector by launching the UAE Exchange in 1980. He identified an opportunity in the currency exchange business and acquired Travelex. All these leading brands are now a part of the holding company – Finablr. Finablr was recently listed on the London Stock Exchange.

In a step towards backward integration into the healthcare sector, Dr. Shetty set-up Neopharma in 2003. Neopharma is a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and has collaborations with multinational companies like Pfizer, Merck, Abbot Laboratories, Hetero Pharmaceuticals, and Biocon. Recently, Neopharma has acquired an antibiotic manufacturing facility in the USA.

 As a part of the strategy to provide innovative solutions across varying verticals, Dr. Shetty established BRS Ventures. Dr. Shetty has set-up quality institutions in the education, hospitality, and environment sectors. He has also recently acquired the Assam Tea Company in India. With a belief of giving back to the country, Dr. Shetty has established a leading healthcare services brand – BR Life. Headquartered in Bengaluru, BR Life currently operates multi-specialty healthcare facilities in India, Nepal, Africa, and the Middle East.

2.The Entertainment Giant, Sohan Roy SK

Sohan is a globally acclaimed Filmmaker & creator of Oscar qualified films & documentaries. He is the Founder Chairman & CEO of Aries Group of Companies, a multinational consortium of 45 companies spread over 15 countries. 

He created globally acclaimed & Oscar selected films and documentaries, founder of the first global maritime TV channel - Marine BizTV and first global medical channel - Medi BizTV.

He is the promoter of the largest 3D Motion Picture & Animation studio in India - EPICA, Owner of the largest 3D Motion Picture studio in India - Aries Visamayas Max, Promoter of one of India's best double 4K Exhibition Screen - Aries Plex.

 Sohan is the visionary founder of Project Indywood - US$ 10billion project designed to change the destiny of Indian cinema and founder & director of the ultimate film carnival of the world - Indywood Film Carnival and of the revolutionary visual media based industrial training and research institute, Aries International Maritime Research Institute (AIMRI) 

 He is the promoter of the state-of-the-art internationally recognized software T.I.M.E (To Improve My Efficiency), and creator of the world's longest Snake Boat - Aries Punnamada Chundan.

 3. The Philanthropist, Melinda Gates 

Image credit: Frederic Stevens | Getty Images

Along with her husband, Melinda initiated her charitable endeavours in 1994, mainly at the behest of Bill's father, William H. Gates, but also from the example of Bill's mother, a devoted philanthropist who had died earlier that year. Their first effort, the William H. Gates Foundation, pursued global health programs as well as projects in the Pacific Northwest, where they lived. 

Three years later, they launched the Gates Library Foundation (renamed Gates Learning Foundation in 1999) to benefit North American libraries, with a particular focus on bringing Internet technology to public libraries. Next came the Gates Millennium Scholars program (1999), which directed $1 billion toward minority study grants. The couple consolidated their charitable interests in 2000 as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with a reported endowment of $17 billion.

4. $50 Billion Man, Dan Pe?a

Founder and Chairman of The Guthrie Group; Founder, Former CEO, Chairman of the Board of Great Western Resources Inc.; Co-Founder, Former CEO, Chairman of the Board of J.P.K. Industries; Bear Stearns & Co. Successful: Former Chairman of various US/European/Asian companies including venture capital, IT, internet, property, insurance, food distribution, health care, manufacturing, pub and restaurants, financial services, construction, telemarketing, publishing, amongst others; high-level negotiator with many governments and multinational firms including equity providers, insurance companies, investment banks, international law firms, and all "Big Four" accounting firms.

 Mr. Pe?a is an extremely dynamic and powerful speaker, motivator, and grandmaster entrepreneur. His Quantum Leap Advantage? high performance, business success seminars have been in demand in the United States, Canada, and Europe. His workshops and talks have been sponsored by various US and foreign universities, including Oxford University and US Naval Academy. Besides, corporations such as Dell as well as The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), the Black Ties Association, Toronto, Canada, and BOND TV - Brotherhood Organisation of a New Destiny, Los Angeles.

 In recent years, since retiring, he has given free keynote addresses, interactive workshops, seminars, and conferences on both sides of the Atlantic and Pacific on building businesses exponentially and has been recognised, by equity created, as a "super success high-performance business coach" and mentor.

 He was the recipient of the "Order Of St John" appointed by Her Majesty The Queen at the Washington National Cathedral. 

5. The Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern

Jacinda Kate Laurell Ardern became the leader of the New Zealand Labour Party in 2017, at age 37, became the country's youngest prime minister in more than 150 years.

Jacinda's leadership skills were put under heavy duress In March 2019 when Ardern was called upon to lead and comfort her country in the wake of what she characterized as one of its "darkest days," after an attack on a mosque in central Christchurch and another on a mosque in suburban Linwood during midday prayers on March 15 resulted in the loss of at least 50 lives and injuries to about 50 other individuals. In both cases the assailant allegedly was a 28-year-old white supremacist Australian national who had posted a 74-page anti-immigrant manifesto on social media immediately prior to beginning his attack with assault rifles and shotguns.

Before he was apprehended by police, the gunman—who had streamed the attack on the first mosque on Facebook, apparently using a head-mounted camera—had killed 42 people at the first mosque and another 8 at the second, some 3 miles (5 km) away. According to his rambling hate-filled manifesto, the alleged assailant had come to New Zealand specifically to undertake the attacks to highlight that even a place as remote as New Zealand suffered from "mass immigration."

6. The VC Shark, Daymond John

From humble beginnings to a self-made multimillionaire with over $6 billion to date in global product sales and a starring role on ABC's newest business reality TV show, Shark Tank, Daymond John is the personification of the American Dream. He continues to set standards of excellence while expanding his interests in fashion, branding, marketing, consulting, entertainment, and beyond. This industry leader, best-selling author, and groundbreaking entrepreneurial expert has evolved into a highly sought after business and motivational speaker.

 As a dynamic business speaker with over twenty years of hands-on proven business experience, Daymond shares the strategies that continue to bring him financial success. As Founder and CEO, Daymond steered FUBU from a mere concept to a global fashion powerhouse with annual retail sales exceeding $350 million at its peak.

Utilising many of the same tactics commonly used today, Daymond John pioneered the art of integrating fashion, culture, and music nearly twenty years ago. From his then-unprecedented guerrilla marketing and branding techniques to the continuously innovative ways in which he uses social media, brand integration, and his expertise on pop culture, Daymond remains a cutting-edge business strategist.

 7. World#1 Master Sales Authority, Jordan Belfort

In the 1990s, Jordan Belfort built one of the most dynamic and successful sales organisations in Wall Street history. To this day, his proprietary sales-training techniques and daily motivational speeches are the 'stuff of legend'— earning him a reputation as a 'motivator without peer'. His testimonials confirm he can take virtually any individual, regardless of age, race, sex, educational background or social status, and empower them to attain goals they never dreamed themselves capable of.

 He's acted as a consultant to more than fifty public companies. He has been written about in virtually every major newspaper and magazine in the world, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The London Times, The Herald Tribune, Le Monde, Corriere Della Serra, Forbes, BusinessWeek, Paris Match and Rolling Stone.

 Today, his life represents the ultimate redemption story. After barely surviving his rise and fall as an American entrepreneurial icon, he is now thirteen-years-sober and a world-renowned motivational speaker, who assists both people and organisations in breaking through whatever barriers hold them back from achieving success.

Whether speaking to a roomful of a hard-charging salesman or a jam-packed convention centre filled with 'everyday people,' Belfort's teachings captivate and inspire his audience, and provide them with all the necessary tools to create instant, measurable, and lasting success.

 Belfort's two bestselling books have been published in twenty-two countries and translated into eighteen different languages. He is a frequent guest-commentator on CNN, CNBC, Headlines News, and the BBC. His life story has been turned into a major motion picture by Warner Brothers, with Leonardo DiCaprio playing the role of Belfort and directed by Martin Scorsese.

8. The Top Business Mastery Pro, Keith Cunningham

A seasoned entrepreneur, internationally-known speaker, and acclaimed author Keith J. Cunningham is regarded as one of the world's foremost authorities on business mastery.

Keith has taught critical business skills, mentored and coached thousands of top executives and entrepreneurs around the world and appeared with industry giants, including T. Harv Eker, Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins, and Robert Kiyosaki.

He teaches the tools and strategies used by the pros, not only to make money but also to keep it. A self-made millionaire, Keith is an expert at helping business owners turn fledgling businesses into highly profitable companies with explosive growth.

9. The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, Robin Sharma 

Robin Sharma on stage with Steve Wozniak, Co-founder of Apple Inc.

Robin Sharma is currently writing The 5 AM Club [2019].

 Robin is the celebrated author of 15 bestselling books on leadership, including The Leader Who Had No Title (Simon & Schuster), one of the bestselling business books on the market today. His work has been published in over 62 countries and nearly 75 languages, making him one of the most widely read authors in the world.

He shot to fame with The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari (HarperCollins), which has topped international bestseller lists and sold over 5,000,000 copies. Celebrity CEOs, rockstars, top entrepreneurs, and royalty have all embraced his work. As well as being one of the most in-demand professional speakers in the leadership/elite performance field, Robin is also a widely respected CEO advisor, having worked with Fortune 500 CEOs and leaders all over the world.

 In an independent survey of 22,000 Business people, Robin was ranked in the Top 5 of leadership experts (source: leadershipgurus.net). He shares the stage with Richard Branson, Jack Welch, Jeffery Immelt, and thought leaders such as Bill Clinton. Robin is profiled regularly on leading international media such as CNN, MSNBC, BNN, and the Biography Channel. 

10. The WHY Phenomenon, Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek is an unshakeable optimist who believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Simon's WHY is to inspire people to do what inspires them so that, together, each of us can change our world for the better.

 With a vision to change the way businesses think, act, and operate, Simon and his team work with leaders and organisations in nearly every industry to help transform company culture and create a better working world.

 As a trained ethnographer, Simon has discovered remarkable patterns about how the most significant leaders and organisations think, act, and communicate. He is fascinated by the people and organisations that make the greatest, lasting impact on the world. He has devoted his life to sharing his thinking and leading a movement to inspire people to do the things that inspire them.

 Simon may be best known for popularising the concept of WHY in his first Ted Talk in 2009. It has since become one of the most-watched talks of all time on TED.com, with 37+ million views.

 Simon is the bestselling author of Start With Why, Leaders Eat Last, and Together Is Better. Find Your Why, was published in September 2017 and The Infinite Game in 2019.

 ___________________________________

 To connect with me personally, please email [email protected].

About The Author

Mariett Ramm

Public Relations Elite Publicist. Educator. The Modern-Day PR. Bestselling Co-author. Publisher. Editor. Social Content Writer. A woman behind her desk most of the time. If not, she travels for interviews, summits, and conferences. She is a leading Transformation Coach. Humanitarian. Empath. Goodwill Ambassador. Battersea London Dogs and Cats Supporter and proud owner of two Havaneses, Princess Tanta Minc and Sir Bruce.