06 Nov The Top Tech Executives to Follow on Social Media

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the world’s reliance on technology and online platforms is higher than ever. Though we are still in the midst of the crisis, society is shifting towards potentially permanent changes when it comes to communication in the professional and educational fields. 

Not only that, but for many people, the digital space is a major resource for staying connected to important news, world events, daily errands and tasks, and more. 

Today, we’re highlighting some of the top executives in the tech industry to follow on social media. These leaders are actively sharing innovations in their field and providing important resources and information about their companies’ efforts, particularly focused on how they are adapting and transforming their industry during the pandemic.  

Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon 

The CEO of Verizon, Hans Vestberg, has over 50K followers on LinkedIn. His company has been very active with its COVID-19 response with initiatives such as extending its low-income internet offer through 2020, working with Los Angeles Unified to enable distance learning for more students, and releasing a second round of grants from the Verizon Small Business Recovery Fund.

In a recent interview, Vestberg stated, “We need to have transparency and communication in these times,” an ideology that he maintains on his social channels. Vestberg cultivates a predominantly philanthropic space on his social media, often sharing technological innovations and company updates that reflect humanitarian efforts. For example, his post below highlights Verizon’s efforts to meet Sustainable Development Goals, which are a collection of actionable goals created by the U.N. 

Through Vestberg’s social posts, it’s clear that his leadership approach at Verizon is to create a better, fairer, and more sustainable world. He uses the online space to position himself as a social activist by addressing issues like racial inequality in America. 

As a leader in the tech industry, many of his posts focus on 5G technology, which he believes will “drastically reshape society” due to its speed and efficiency. Vestberg discusses innovative technology by highlighting how it helps people stay connected and access important resources. He uses hashtags like #RebuildTogether to make it clear that his and Verizon’s mission is to improve the digital divide by strengthening the accessibility of high-speed internet to more users.

Follow Vestberg for a philanthropic perspective on how efforts made by major tech companies like Verizon are contributing to social change. 

Dan Schulman, CEO of PayPal

Dan Schulman, the CEO of the popular online payments system, PayPal, has a massive following on LinkedIn at 191K followers. 

Schulman predominantly posts about how PayPal is adapting to the pandemic, specifically analyzing the shift towards digital commerce. Schulman recognizes the importance of technologies like PayPal during the COVID-19 crisis, especially for small businesses since the pandemic has severely impacted in-person customer experiences. 

In the post below outlining PayPal’s Q3 results, Schulman emphasizes that his company is researching how it can better support SMBs (small to medium-sized businesses). He and his company are also working towards becoming more inclusive of all forms of digital currencies, which is a crucial factor in improving worldwide connectivity. Schulman also uses his LinkedIn to post in-depth company updates and innovations in response to the pandemic, ensuring that he is keeping his customers properly informed.  

Similar to Vestberg, Schulman also uses his social posts to promote humanitarian efforts that address important social issues. For example, in the fight against racial inequality, he posted about PayPal investing $50 million towards supporting Black and Latinx-led venture capital funds.

Follow Schulman for his insights into how the commerce landscape is changing to rely more heavily on the digital space. 

Adena Friedman, CEO of Nasdaq 

The CEO of Nasdaq, which is the first U.S. stock market to trade online, has a Twitter account with over 13K followers. 

Friedman, who uses a more analytic tone throughout her feed compared to Schulman and Vestberg, uses Twitter to share important business-related announcements. Friedman’s language leans more heavily on B2B terminology, but she still ensures that her content is accessible and not overly formal. 

Examples of her content include statistics, reports, and graphs that are focused on directing followers towards the internal changes taking place in the technological world and at Nasdaq. For example, in the Tweet below, Friedman discusses the shift towards cloud computing and how the evolving technology fits into the company’s structure. 

Since our inception, we recognized the massive impact technology could bring to the capital markets. Our teams are now embarking on a cloud-centric strategy, which is guiding how we think about everything – from data management to product development and so much more. https://t.co/Psn3JoiKeP

— Adena Friedman (@adenatfriedman) October 21, 2020

Her Twitter feed primarily consists of official Nasdaq data, such as insightful industry reports and LinkedIn articles. Though this is helpful in promoting her company, one suggestion for improvement would be to share more third-party sources. This may help Friedman create a more well-rounded and objective feed, rather than appearing too biased or subjective towards her own company.

Though her feed is more on the professional side, Friedman is also sure to stay attuned to important social issues, positioning herself as a leader who recognizes the need for supporting and improving diversity within the business world. 

Diversity makes us #StrongerTogether. @Nasdaq is a proud partner of the #TheBoardChallenge and we are committed to accelerating change across the corporate community for Black leaders. https://t.co/TUla4nJ3Fv

— Adena Friedman (@adenatfriedman) September 9, 2020

Follow Friedman for industry news, data, and updates in the digital trading world. 

Shaping the Tech Industry Through Social Media 

As leaders in the tech field, a commonality between these three executives is that they are focused on shaping and defining the world more positively through their company’s efforts. They all utilize their social media channels to keep their audience informed of their respective technological innovations during the pandemic. They also manage to tie this content into the larger narrative of how these efforts are addressing social issues, such as helping to rebuild the economy or fighting racial inequality. 

With such a heavy reliance on technology these days, all three executives use their social media to publicly acknowledge their professional responsibilities during this time. They recognize the importance of their positions as leaders who are keeping the world connected during a crisis and are focused on the urgency for inclusivity and staying connected on digital platforms. 

For executives in the tech industry, one way to maintain relevance on social media is to be active by using a consistent posting schedule. This particular industry moves quickly with new platforms and emerging technologies being introduced every day. By staying on top of new innovations and posting timely content, tech executives on social media can be a valuable source of news for their followers.

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