5 Successful Industry Leaders To Look Up To

Many people across various industries and sectors have developed viable winning strategies to scale their companies and succeed. These individuals have gone on to provide quality leadership for the emerging generation. Take the initiative and emulate successful individuals in your industry niche. This article takes a critical look at five successful industry leaders that are worth emulating.

1. Malliha Wilson

Malliha Wilson has disrupted the entire Canadian legal industry. Wilson’s origins can be traced back to Colombo, Sri Lanka. She’s the granddaughter of S. J. V. Chelvanayakam—founder and leader of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF). Wilson’s father, Professor Alfred Jeyaratnam Wilson, was an acclaimed author, historian, and academic.

Malliha bagged her undergraduate degree from the prestigious McGill University. Afterward, she enrolled at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University for her law degree. This legal luminary joined the Ontario Public Service in 1987 as counsel for the Ministry of Government Services, where she held the same role as the native affairs secretariat.

In 2008, Malliha Wilson made headlines as the first visible minority to serve as Ontario’s assistant deputy attorney general. As assistant deputy attorney general of the Government of Ontario, Malliha handled many notable cases at the Ontario Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada. One year after the Tamil Canadian lawyer left the public sector, she co-founded Nava Wilson LLP—a private law practice in Toronto, Canada.

All in all, Malliha Wilson’s strides in the world of law have garnered her significant critical acclaim and massive followership.

2. Zach Mottl

Zach Mottl is one of the big players in the global manufacturing industry. Mr. Mottl is the chief executive officer of Atlas Tool Works—a precision manufacturing facility in Lyons, Illinois. Zach is the fourth generation of his family to own and manage Atlas Tool Works. He’s also in charge of the family’s related businesses, including Abet Industries and Accushim Inc.

The company offers a broad array of metal manufacturing services to key markets such as industrial products, defense and aerospace, telecom and electronics, and medical. As chief alignment officer, Mottl’s responsibilities also cover engaging in outreach and finding operational improvements.

Zach Mottl sits on the CPA’s board as its chairman. At age 35, he became the youngest chairman of TMA. The manufacturing executive lives in the village of Burr Ridge, where he serves as a village trustee. What’s more, he is a member of the economic development committee of Burr Ridge.

3. John Mackey

John Mackey is unarguably one of the brightest minds in the grocery store industry. Mackey is the chief executive officer and co-founder of Whole Foods Market. The supermarket chain, which started 41 years ago in Austin, Texas, is now present in over 500 locations across North America. Plus, the company employs over 91,000 staff members. Mackey is acclaimed to have spearheaded the massive growth recorded by Whole Foods Market. Aside from the United States and Canada, the company has outlets in major markets in the United Kingdom.

4. Ursula Burns

Ursula Burns gained recognition as the first black woman to become chief executive officer of a Fortune 500 company. From 2009 to 2016, she was the chief executive officer of Xerox—an American information technology conglomerate with an active presence in over 160 countries. She was also Xerox’s board chair from 2010 to 2017 and between late 2018 and early 2020, Burns also served as CEO and chair of VEON. In 2014, Forbes named her the 22nd most powerful woman in the world.

5. Arianna Huffington

Arianna Huffington garnered acclaim as the co-founder of The Huffington Post. Born in Athens, Greece, Huffington is arguably one of the most successful players in the media sector. She founded Thrive Global in August 2016 and has appeared on Forbes lists of the World’s 100 Most Influential People and Most Powerful Women. The tech mogul is also an acclaimed author with 15 books to her credit, two being international bestsellers. Huffington currently sits on several boards, including Onex, Global Citizen, and Uber.