InfluenceAsia evaluates leaders by institutional consequence, field contribution, regional relevance and visible 2020 decision-making.
2020
Asia's Most Influential Leaders
A 2020 ranking of leaders shaping Asia through crisis, institutions, platforms and public life.
100Leaders ranked
99.5Top index score
6Research dimensions
24Market bases
Ranking Introduction
The Year Leadership Became Infrastructure
InfluenceAsia 100: Asia's Most Influential Leaders 2020 evaluates individual leadership across Asian governance, public health, technology, capital, industry, culture and civil society as it stood during 2020.
The 2020 cycle made influence unusually visible: decisions about public health, technology capacity, capital, labour, culture and social trust moved from institutional background to public consequence.
This is not a wealth list, not a traffic list, not a popularity poll and not an advertising award. It is an independent InfluenceAsia research and editorial ranking built around leadership consequence during 2020.
Eligible candidates are state leaders, public-health operators, founders, chief executives, investors, cultural builders and civic leaders whose actions materially shaped Asian institutions, markets, communities or international perception in 2020. The edition excludes celebrity-only profiles, ceremonial figures without active 2020 leadership consequence and individuals whose impact was not materially connected to Asian public life, enterprise, culture or society.
An independent InfluenceAsia original ranking produced for formal editorial publication and web-ready presentation.
Written as a 2020 edition, using roles, decisions, institutional platforms and field contributions visible during 2020.
Representative Leaders
Eight Leaders That Define The 2020 Thesis
#01
Xi Jinping
General Secretary and President
China's central leader in 2020, shaping pandemic response, economic recovery and regional power calculations.
#02
Narendra Modi
Prime Minister
India's dominant political leader in 2020, combining mass communication, crisis governance and strategic economic messaging.
#03
Ma Huateng
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Tencent's platform leader in 2020, making social, gaming and payment infrastructure central to Asian digital life.
#04
Mukesh Ambani
Chairman and Managing Director
India's most powerful digital platform builder in 2020, defined by Jio's capital momentum and data-network scale.
#05
Zhang Yiming
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
ByteDance's founder in 2020, defining algorithmic media and the global rise of short-form video.
#06
Jack Ma
Founder and senior ecosystem figure
Alibaba's founding voice in 2020, symbolising both the scale and scrutiny of Asian platform entrepreneurship.
#07
Masayoshi Son
Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Japan's defining technology investor in 2020, steering SoftBank through volatility and platform recovery.
#08
Tsai Ing-wen
President
Taiwan's president in 2020, linking democratic resilience, public-health discipline and strategic technology relevance.
Full Ranking
The Full List
Showing 100 leaders
| Rank | Leader | Platform | Market Base | Primary Sector | Index | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Xi JinpingGeneral Secretary and President | People's Republic of China | ChinaBeijing, China | State leadership | 99.5 | China's central leader in 2020, shaping pandemic response, economic recovery and regional power calculations. |
| 2 | Narendra ModiPrime Minister | Government of India | IndiaNew Delhi, India | State leadership | 99.4 | India's dominant political leader in 2020, combining mass communication, crisis governance and strategic economic messaging. |
| 3 | Ma HuatengChairman and Chief Executive Officer | Tencent Holdings | ChinaShenzhen, China | Technology leadership | 99.3 | Tencent's platform leader in 2020, making social, gaming and payment infrastructure central to Asian digital life. |
| 4 | Mukesh AmbaniChairman and Managing Director | Reliance Industries / Jio Platforms | IndiaMumbai, India | Technology and industry leadership | 99.1 | India's most powerful digital platform builder in 2020, defined by Jio's capital momentum and data-network scale. |
| 5 | Zhang YimingFounder and Chief Executive Officer | ByteDance | ChinaBeijing, China | Technology leadership | 99 | ByteDance's founder in 2020, defining algorithmic media and the global rise of short-form video. |
| 6 | Jack MaFounder and senior ecosystem figure | Alibaba Group / Ant Group ecosystem | ChinaHangzhou, China | Technology and philanthropy | 98.9 | Alibaba's founding voice in 2020, symbolising both the scale and scrutiny of Asian platform entrepreneurship. |
| 7 | Masayoshi SonFounder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | SoftBank Group | JapanTokyo, Japan | Technology capital | 98.8 | Japan's defining technology investor in 2020, steering SoftBank through volatility and platform recovery. |
| 8 | Tsai Ing-wenPresident | Office of the President, Taiwan | TaiwanTaipei, Taiwan | State leadership | 98.7 | Taiwan's president in 2020, linking democratic resilience, public-health discipline and strategic technology relevance. |
| 9 | Moon Jae-inPresident | Republic of Korea | South KoreaSeoul, South Korea | State leadership | 98.5 | South Korea's president in 2020, associated with testing, tracing and resilient democratic governance. |
| 10 | Lee Hsien LoongPrime Minister | Government of Singapore | SingaporeSingapore | State leadership | 98.4 | Singapore's prime minister in 2020, anchoring institutional trust, public-health coordination and regional connectivity. |
| 11 | Chen Shih-chungMinister of Health and Welfare; pandemic command leader | Taiwan public-health system | TaiwanTaipei, Taiwan | Public health leadership | 98.3 | Taiwan's public-health leader in 2020, recognised for disciplined pandemic coordination and public trust. |
| 12 | Shinzo AbePrime Minister until September 2020 | Government of Japan | JapanTokyo, Japan | State leadership | 98.2 | Japan's long-serving prime minister in 2020, shaping crisis management and strategic continuity. |
| 13 | Yoshihide SugaPrime Minister from September 2020 | Government of Japan | JapanTokyo, Japan | State leadership | 98.1 | Japan's new prime minister in 2020, positioned around continuity, administrative delivery and digital reform. |
| 14 | Joko WidodoPresident | Republic of Indonesia | IndonesiaJakarta, Indonesia | State leadership | 97.9 | Indonesia's president in 2020, combining crisis governance with infrastructure and investment-reform ambition. |
| 15 | Mohammed bin SalmanCrown Prince | Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | Saudi ArabiaRiyadh, Saudi Arabia | State transformation | 97.8 | Saudi Arabia's transformation strategist in 2020, linking public investment, diversification and state modernisation. |
| 16 | Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al MaktoumVice President and Prime Minister; Ruler of Dubai | Dubai / United Arab Emirates | United Arab EmiratesDubai, United Arab Emirates | State leadership and city strategy | 97.7 | Dubai's city-state strategist in 2020, steering a global services hub through extraordinary disruption. |
| 17 | Recep Tayyip ErdoganPresident | Republic of Turkey | TurkeyAnkara, Turkey | State leadership | 97.6 | Turkey's dominant leader in 2020, shaping a pivotal Eurasian state through crisis and strategic assertion. |
| 18 | Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al ThaniEmir | State of Qatar | QatarDoha, Qatar | State leadership | 97.5 | Qatar's emir in 2020, projecting influence through gas, capital, diplomacy and media reach. |
| 19 | Sheikh HasinaPrime Minister | Government of Bangladesh | BangladeshDhaka, Bangladesh | State leadership | 97.3 | Bangladesh's prime minister in 2020, linking development ambition with pandemic-era economic resilience. |
| 20 | Nguyen Xuan PhucPrime Minister | Government of Vietnam | VietnamHanoi, Vietnam | State leadership | 97.2 | Vietnam's prime minister in 2020, advancing public-health coordination and manufacturing competitiveness. |
| 21 | Nguyen Phu TrongGeneral Secretary and President | Socialist Republic of Vietnam | VietnamHanoi, Vietnam | State leadership | 97.1 | Vietnam's central political leader in 2020, anchoring governance discipline and strategic continuity. |
| 22 | Imran KhanPrime Minister | Government of Pakistan | PakistanIslamabad, Pakistan | State leadership | 97 | Pakistan's prime minister in 2020, balancing pandemic response with livelihood and welfare priorities. |
| 23 | Aung San Suu KyiState Counsellor | Myanmar civilian government | MyanmarNaypyidaw / Yangon, Myanmar | State leadership | 96.9 | Myanmar's central civilian leader in 2020, carrying electoral strength and governance complexity. |
| 24 | Rodrigo DutertePresident | Republic of the Philippines | PhilippinesManila, Philippines | State leadership | 96.7 | The Philippines' dominant leader in 2020, shaping emergency governance and domestic political direction. |
| 25 | Muhyiddin YassinPrime Minister | Government of Malaysia | MalaysiaPutrajaya, Malaysia | State leadership | 96.6 | Malaysia's prime minister in 2020, navigating political transition and pandemic governance. |
| 26 | Prayut Chan-o-chaPrime Minister | Government of Thailand | ThailandBangkok, Thailand | State leadership | 96.5 | Thailand's prime minister in 2020, managing health controls, economic strain and political pressure. |
| 27 | Benjamin NetanyahuPrime Minister | Government of Israel | IsraelJerusalem, Israel | State leadership | 96.4 | Israel's prime minister in 2020, combining crisis governance, security policy and regional diplomacy. |
| 28 | Hassan RouhaniPresident | Islamic Republic of Iran | IranTehran, Iran | State leadership | 96.3 | Iran's president in 2020, managing pandemic strain and sanctions-era governance. |
| 29 | Adar PoonawallaChief Executive Officer | Serum Institute of India | IndiaPune, India | Healthcare leadership | 96.1 | Serum Institute's CEO in 2020, representing India's central role in global vaccine manufacturing. |
| 30 | Kiran Mazumdar-ShawChairperson and Managing Director | Biocon | IndiaBengaluru, India | Healthcare leadership | 96 | India's leading biotech entrepreneur in 2020, linking biosimilars, access and healthcare innovation. |
| 31 | Li GeChairman and Chief Executive Officer | WuXi AppTec | ChinaShanghai, China | Healthcare and life sciences | 95.9 | WuXi AppTec's founder in 2020, placing China at the centre of global drug discovery services. |
| 32 | Ren ZhengfeiFounder and Chief Executive Officer | Huawei Technologies | ChinaShenzhen, China | Technology leadership | 95.8 | Huawei's founder in 2020, representing China's most contested and consequential network technology company. |
| 33 | Daniel ZhangChairman and Chief Executive Officer | Alibaba Group | ChinaHangzhou, China | Technology and commerce | 95.7 | Alibaba's chief executive in 2020, connecting commerce, cloud and logistics at extraordinary scale. |
| 34 | Eric JingExecutive Chairman | Ant Group | ChinaHangzhou, China | Financial technology | 95.5 | Ant Group's executive leader in 2020, representing the scale and scrutiny of Asian fintech. |
| 35 | Lei JunFounder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | Xiaomi Corporation | ChinaBeijing, China | Technology leadership | 95.4 | Xiaomi's founder in 2020, advancing China's value-driven smartphone and IoT ecosystem. |
| 36 | Wang XingFounder and Chief Executive Officer | Meituan | ChinaBeijing, China | Technology leadership | 95.3 | Meituan's founder in 2020, turning food delivery and local commerce into critical urban infrastructure. |
| 37 | Colin HuangFounder and senior leader | social commerce and value retail | ChinaShanghai, China | Pinduoduo | 95.2 | His leadership changed how investors viewed Chinese consumption beyond premium urban markets. |
| 38 | Cheng WeiFounder and Chief Executive Officer | Didi Chuxing | ChinaBeijing, China | Technology leadership | 95.1 | Didi's founder in 2020, steering intelligent mobility through disruption and platform maturity. |
| 39 | Jean LiuPresident | Didi Chuxing | ChinaBeijing, China | Technology leadership | 94.9 | Didi's president in 2020, shaping mobility strategy, partnerships and platform governance. |
| 40 | Richard LiuFounder and Chief Executive Officer | JD.com | ChinaBeijing, China | Technology and commerce | 94.8 | JD.com's founder in 2020, proving the strategic value of logistics-led online retail. |
| 41 | Nadiem MakarimMinister of Education and Culture; founder of Go-Jek | Indonesia education system / Go-Jek legacy | IndonesiaJakarta, Indonesia | Education and technology leadership | 94.7 | Indonesia's founder-turned-education reformer in 2020, linking platform thinking with human-capital policy. |
| 42 | Anthony TanCo-founder and Chief Executive Officer | Grab | Singapore / MalaysiaSingapore | Technology leadership | 94.6 | Grab's co-founder in 2020, steering Southeast Asian mobility toward payments, delivery and super-app services. |
| 43 | Forrest LiFounder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | Sea Group | SingaporeSingapore | Technology leadership | 94.5 | Sea Group's founder in 2020, connecting gaming, e-commerce and digital finance across Southeast Asia. |
| 44 | William TanuwijayaCo-founder and Chief Executive Officer | Tokopedia | IndonesiaJakarta, Indonesia | Technology leadership | 94.3 | Tokopedia's co-founder in 2020, helping Indonesian merchants move deeper into digital commerce. |
| 45 | Vijay Shekhar SharmaFounder and Chief Executive Officer | Paytm | IndiaNoida, India | Financial technology | 94.2 | Paytm's founder in 2020, extending Indian digital payments into a broader financial platform. |
| 46 | Byju RaveendranFounder and Chief Executive Officer | BYJU'S | IndiaBengaluru, India | Education technology | 94.1 | BYJU'S founder in 2020, leading India's online learning surge during education disruption. |
| 47 | Ritesh AgarwalFounder and Chief Executive Officer | OYO | IndiaGurugram, India | Travel and hospitality technology | 94 | OYO's founder in 2020, navigating travel collapse and hospitality-platform restructuring. |
| 48 | Deepinder GoyalCo-founder and Chief Executive Officer | Zomato | IndiaGurugram, India | Food technology | 93.9 | Zomato's co-founder in 2020, guiding Indian food technology through restaurant-sector disruption. |
| 49 | Sriharsha MajetyCo-founder and Chief Executive Officer | Swiggy | IndiaBengaluru, India | Food technology | 93.7 | Swiggy's co-founder in 2020, leading high-frequency delivery through pandemic-era disruption. |
| 50 | Girish MathruboothamFounder and Chief Executive Officer | Freshworks | IndiaChennai, India | Software leadership | 93.6 | Freshworks' founder in 2020, representing India's global SaaS ambition. |
| 51 | Neil ShenFounding Managing Partner | Sequoia Capital China | ChinaHong Kong / Beijing / Shanghai | Technology capital | 93.5 | China's leading venture investor in 2020, shaping startup capital and platform formation. |
| 52 | Zhang LeiFounder and Chief Executive Officer | Hillhouse Capital | ChinaBeijing / Hong Kong | Investment leadership | 93.4 | Hillhouse's founder in 2020, representing long-term capital across technology and healthcare. |
| 53 | Ho ChingChief Executive Officer | Temasek Holdings | SingaporeSingapore | Sovereign investment leadership | 93.3 | Singapore's leading state-capital executive in 2020, guiding long-term portfolio resilience. |
| 54 | Piyush GuptaChief Executive Officer | DBS Group | SingaporeSingapore | Banking leadership | 93.1 | DBS's CEO in 2020, representing digital banking resilience and regional financial leadership. |
| 55 | Haruhiko KurodaGovernor | Bank of Japan | JapanTokyo, Japan | Central banking | 93 | Japan's central-bank governor in 2020, guiding monetary support through pandemic-era market stress. |
| 56 | Yi GangGovernor | People's Bank of China | ChinaBeijing, China | Central banking | 92.9 | China's central-bank governor in 2020, steering liquidity, stability and digital currency experimentation. |
| 57 | Jin LiqunPresident | Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank | ChinaBeijing, China | Development finance | 92.8 | Asia's infrastructure-finance leader in 2020, connecting development capital with crisis-era resilience. |
| 58 | Masatsugu AsakawaPresident | Asian Development Bank | JapanManila, Philippines | Development finance | 92.7 | A Japanese development-finance leader in 2020, steering regional support through pandemic disruption. |
| 59 | Sri Mulyani IndrawatiMinister of Finance | Ministry of Finance, Indonesia | IndonesiaJakarta, Indonesia | Economic governance | 92.5 | Indonesia's finance minister in 2020, protecting fiscal credibility while supporting crisis recovery. |
| 60 | Nirmala SitharamanMinister of Finance and Corporate Affairs | Government of India | IndiaNew Delhi, India | Economic governance | 92.4 | India's finance minister in 2020, shaping relief, reform and pandemic-era economic policy. |
| 61 | Ma JunFounder and Director | Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs | ChinaBeijing, China | Environmental leadership | 92.3 | China's environmental data leader in 2020, turning transparency into corporate accountability. |
| 62 | Malala YousafzaiCo-founder and education advocate | Malala Fund | PakistanBirmingham / Swat Valley | Civil society leadership | 92.2 | Pakistan's global education advocate in 2020, keeping girls' schooling central during education disruption. |
| 63 | Kailash SatyarthiFounder and child-rights advocate | Bachpan Bachao Andolan ecosystem | IndiaNew Delhi, India | Civil society leadership | 92.1 | India's child-rights leader in 2020, defending vulnerable children during social and economic disruption. |
| 64 | Muhammad YunusFounder and social business advocate | Grameen movement | BangladeshDhaka, Bangladesh | Social enterprise leadership | 91.9 | Bangladesh's social-business pioneer in 2020, linking inclusive finance with crisis-era recovery ideas. |
| 65 | Ela BhattFounder and labour-rights leader | Self-Employed Women's Association ecosystem | IndiaAhmedabad, India | Civil society leadership | 91.8 | India's women's labour pioneer in 2020, elevating informal workers in the crisis economy. |
| 66 | Maria RessaChief Executive Officer and Executive Editor | Rappler | PhilippinesManila, Philippines | Media leadership | 91.7 | The Philippines' digital journalism leader in 2020, standing for civic accountability in the platform era. |
| 67 | Ai WeiweiArtist and public intellectual | Independent art practice | ChinaBerlin / Beijing | Cultural leadership | 91.6 | China's most internationally visible dissident artist in 2020, merging contemporary art with civic conscience. |
| 68 | Joshua WongCivic activist | Hong Kong youth civic movement | Hong KongHong Kong | Civil society leadership | 91.5 | Hong Kong's youth activist in 2020, symbolising civic mobilisation under tightening political conditions. |
| 69 | Agnes ChowCivic activist | Hong Kong youth civic movement | Hong KongHong Kong | Civil society leadership | 91.3 | Hong Kong's young civic leader in 2020, representing youth activism and international visibility. |
| 70 | Nathan LawDemocracy advocate | Hong Kong democratic movement | Hong KongHong Kong / London | Civil society leadership | 91.2 | Hong Kong's international advocacy voice in 2020, linking civic rights with global attention. |
| 71 | Bong Joon-hoFilm director | Independent cinema and global film industry | South KoreaSeoul, South Korea | Cultural leadership | 91.1 | Korea's defining film leader in 2020, turning Asian cinema into a global cultural benchmark. |
| 72 | Bang Si-hyukFounder and Chairman | Big Hit Entertainment | South KoreaSeoul, South Korea | Cultural industry leadership | 91 | Korea's music-industry architect in 2020, scaling K-pop through fandom platforms and global cultural reach. |
| 73 | Lee Soo-manFounder and Executive Producer | SM Entertainment | South KoreaSeoul, South Korea | Cultural industry leadership | 90.9 | A Korean cultural-industry architect in 2020, shaping the systems behind K-pop's global spread. |
| 74 | Naomi OsakaProfessional athlete and public voice | Global tennis platform | JapanJapan / United States | Sports and social leadership | 90.7 | Japan's most globally resonant athlete in 2020, combining sporting excellence with public conviction. |
| 75 | Ratan TataChairman of Tata Trusts and senior group figure | Tata Trusts / Tata Group | IndiaMumbai, India | Philanthropy and business leadership | 90.6 | India's respected corporate elder in 2020, linking business trust with philanthropy and social responsibility. |
| 76 | Azim PremjiFounder-Chairman and philanthropist | Wipro / Azim Premji Foundation | IndiaBengaluru, India | Philanthropy and technology leadership | 90.5 | India's leading technology philanthropist in 2020, connecting enterprise success with education and social impact. |
| 77 | Shiv NadarFounder and Chairman | HCL / Shiv Nadar Foundation | IndiaNew Delhi, India | Technology and philanthropy | 90.4 | HCL's founder in 2020, linking Indian IT services with education institution building. |
| 78 | Uday KotakManaging Director and Chief Executive Officer | Kotak Mahindra Bank | IndiaMumbai, India | Financial leadership | 90.3 | India's financial entrepreneur in 2020, associated with disciplined private banking and capital-market credibility. |
| 79 | Roshni Nadar MalhotraChairperson and business leader | HCL Technologies / Shiv Nadar Foundation | IndiaNew Delhi, India | Technology and philanthropy leadership | 90.1 | A next-generation Indian technology leader in 2020, linking HCL's enterprise legacy with education impact. |
| 80 | N. ChandrasekaranChairman | Tata Sons | IndiaMumbai, India | Industrial and technology leadership | 90 | Tata Sons' chairman in 2020, steering a major Indian group through crisis and digital transition. |
| 81 | Akio ToyodaPresident | Toyota Motor Corporation | JapanToyota City, Japan | Industrial leadership | 89.9 | Toyota's president in 2020, balancing manufacturing resilience with long-term mobility transformation. |
| 82 | Lee Jae-yongVice Chairman | Samsung Electronics | South KoreaSeoul, South Korea | Technology and industrial leadership | 89.8 | Samsung's pivotal technology leader in 2020, tied to memory chips, displays and global device supply. |
| 83 | C.C. WeiChief Executive Officer | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company | TaiwanHsinchu, Taiwan | Technology leadership | 89.7 | TSMC's CEO in 2020, leading the advanced foundry capacity behind global technology systems. |
| 84 | Terry GouFounder and senior industrial leader | Hon Hai Precision Industry | TaiwanNew Taipei City, Taiwan | Manufacturing leadership | 89.5 | Hon Hai's founder in 2020, symbolising Taiwan's command of global hardware manufacturing networks. |
| 85 | William DingFounder and Chief Executive Officer | NetEase | ChinaHangzhou, China | Technology leadership | 89.4 | NetEase's founder in 2020, linking gaming discipline with premium digital content and services. |
| 86 | Robin LiCo-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | Baidu | ChinaBeijing, China | Technology leadership | 89.3 | Baidu's founder in 2020, advancing AI, autonomous systems and intelligent cloud strategy. |
| 87 | Eric YuanFounder and Chief Executive Officer | Zoom Video Communications | China / United StatesSan Jose, United States | Technology leadership | 89.2 | Zoom's founder in 2020, defining the global shift to video collaboration and remote work. |
| 88 | Amnon ShashuaCo-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer | Mobileye | IsraelJerusalem, Israel | Technology leadership | 89.1 | Mobileye's co-founder in 2020, leading Israel's global impact in vehicle intelligence. |
| 89 | Jensen HuangFounder and Chief Executive Officer | NVIDIA | Taiwan / United StatesSanta Clara, United States | Technology leadership | 88.9 | Taiwan-born computing leader Jensen Huang shaped AI and accelerated computing in 2020. |
| 90 | Bom KimFounder and Chief Executive Officer | Coupang | South KoreaSeoul, South Korea | Technology leadership | 88.8 | Coupang's founder in 2020, defining Korea's speed-led e-commerce and logistics model. |
| 91 | Kim Beom-suFounder and Chairman | Kakao | South KoreaSeoul, South Korea | Technology leadership | 88.7 | Kakao's founder in 2020, shaping Korea's mobile platform economy across finance and services. |
| 92 | Lee Hae-jinFounder and Global Investment Officer | Naver | South KoreaSeoul, South Korea | Technology leadership | 88.6 | Naver's founder-strategist in 2020, linking Korean internet depth with wider Asian platform reach. |
| 93 | Seo Jung-jinFounder and Chairman | Celltrion | South KoreaIncheon, South Korea | Healthcare leadership | 88.5 | Celltrion's founder in 2020, representing Korea's global biosimilar and biologics capability. |
| 94 | Christophe WeberPresident and Chief Executive Officer | Takeda Pharmaceutical | JapanTokyo, Japan | Healthcare leadership | 88.3 | Takeda's CEO in 2020, strengthening Japan's global biopharmaceutical presence. |
| 95 | Tony FernandesGroup Chief Executive Officer | AirAsia Group | MalaysiaKuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Aviation and consumer leadership | 88.2 | AirAsia's leader in 2020, navigating aviation crisis and digital-service reinvention. |
| 96 | Min-Liang TanCo-founder and Chief Executive Officer | Razer | SingaporeSingapore / San Francisco | Technology leadership | 88.1 | Razer's co-founder in 2020, representing Asian gaming hardware and digital lifestyle culture. |
| 97 | Tan Hooi LingCo-founder | Grab | Singapore / MalaysiaSingapore | Technology leadership | 88 | Grab's co-founder in 2020, helping shape Southeast Asia's mobility and super-app architecture. |
| 98 | Falguni NayarFounder and Chief Executive Officer | Nykaa | IndiaMumbai, India | Consumer leadership | 87.9 | Nykaa's founder in 2020, representing Indian beauty commerce and women-led digital entrepreneurship. |
| 99 | Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad Al ThaniChairperson | Qatar Museums | QatarDoha, Qatar | Cultural leadership | 87.7 | Qatar's leading arts patron in 2020, turning cultural investment into international influence. |
| 100 | Hiroshi MikitaniFounder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer | Rakuten | JapanTokyo, Japan | Technology and consumer leadership | 87.6 | Rakuten's founder in 2020, connecting Japanese e-commerce, fintech and mobile ecosystem ambition. |
No leaders match the current filters.
Methodology
How InfluenceAsia Built The Ranking
Edition Scope
InfluenceAsia 100: Asia's Most Influential Leaders 2020 evaluates individual leadership across Asian governance, public health, technology, capital, industry, culture and civil society as it stood during 2020.
Candidate Scope
Eligible candidates are state leaders, public-health operators, founders, chief executives, investors, cultural builders and civic leaders whose actions materially shaped Asian institutions, markets, communities or international perception in 2020.
Exclusions
The edition excludes celebrity-only profiles, ceremonial figures without active 2020 leadership consequence and individuals whose impact was not materially connected to Asian public life, enterprise, culture or society.
Editorial Principles
The ranking is written from a 2020 publishing perspective and avoids later-period hindsight. Influence is evaluated through leadership consequence, not popularity alone. Public office, company scale or celebrity visibility is not sufficient without demonstrable 2020 contribution. The language is designed for formal publication, professional profiles and web presentation.
| Research Dimension | Weight | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Institutional Authority | 25% | Evaluates the formal, corporate, civic or cultural platform through which the leader could shape decisions at scale. |
| Field Contribution2020 | 25% | Measures the leader's visible 2020 contribution within the primary field, including policy, enterprise, public health, capital, technology or culture. |
| Regional Impact | 20% | Assesses consequence across Asian markets, institutions, audiences or supply chains rather than domestic visibility alone. |
| Crisis Leadership | 10% | Reviews the leader's operating relevance during the disruption, uncertainty and public pressure of the 2020 cycle. |
| International Relevance | 15% | Measures how far the leader's actions affected global perception, capital allocation, diplomacy, technology or public conversation. |
| Leadership Originality | 5% | Recognises distinctive strategic judgement, institutional design, public direction or field-building contribution. |
Copyright / Legal
Copyright, Data Notes And Editorial Disclaimer
Copyright
(C) 2020 InfluenceAsia Research. All rights reserved. This ranking, methodology, editorial text, scoring structure, profile language and presentation framework are original InfluenceAsia research and editorial assets.
Research Disclaimer
This edition is an independent editorial research product prepared by InfluenceAsia. It is not investment advice, medical advice, legal judgement, political endorsement, employment screening or commercial certification. Rankings are based on InfluenceAsia editorial assessment of leadership visible during 2020. Inclusion does not imply approval by any listed individual or organisation, and exclusion does not imply negative assessment. InfluenceAsia reserves the right to revise future editions as markets, leadership roles and public conditions evolve.
Data And Legal Limits
No part of this edition may be represented as a ranking, certification or endorsement produced by any party other than InfluenceAsia. The ranking is not investment advice, legal advice, employment screening, political endorsement or commercial certification. It should not be read as approval by any listed individual or organisation.