The world has changed in many ways over the past year. Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been heightened awareness, outrage, and reckoning around racial/ethnic equity in the United States and many meaningful conversations about what comes next. People have asked one another around boardrooms, dinner tables and everywhere in between have focused on how to best reduce systemic inequities, tackle bias and ensure America is a place where everyone can thrive both personally and professionally.

Glassdoor is committed to bringing more equity to workplaces everywhere by prioritizing transparency. By doing so, we hope to help create a more equitable society as well.

As Glassdoor recognizes the Top CEOs in 2021, it’s clear there is more progress to be made in terms of diversity in the C-suite. The lack of CEOs on our list from underrepresented groups demonstrates a wider problem across corporate America: leadership demographics in the C-suite still do not come close to reflecting the population at large.

For perspective, data from the University of California at Santa Cruz found that while Black Americans account for over 13% of the U.S. population (according to the latest U.S. Census figures), only 4 CEOs in the Fortune 500 — less than 1% — are Black. It’s a similar trend for other groups as well. While 6% of the U.S. population is Asian, only 2.4% of CEOs are East or South Asian. Similarly, 3.4% of Fortune 500 leaders are Latinx despite making up 18.5% of the overall population. 

Exceptional leadership does not, and should not, look a certain way. Glassdoor is therefore highlighting the unique stories of several CEOs on the U.S. large list from diverse backgrounds who are already blazing trails and inspiring the next generation of great leaders.

Read on to learn more about a selection of dynamic leaders from underrepresented groups who are among our Top 100 CEOs for 2021, and join us in celebrating them!

Editorial Note: In selecting Top CEOs to highlight from underrepresented groups for this spotlight piece, Glassdoor conducted external research, relying on multiple sources to help understand each leader’s race/ethnicity and/or origin and background. We also proactively reached out to CEOs and/or their teams to ensure we included as many relevant honorees as possible. If you believe a winner among the Top 100 CEOs in 2021 should be reflected here, please contact awards@glassdoor.com.

Shantanu Narayen, Adobe

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #2

CEO Approval Rating: 99%

Shantanu Narayen has been at the helm of Adobe as its CEO since 2007. The nautical analogy is particularly relevant here–Mr. Narayen once represented India in a sailing regatta. He serves as an independent director on Pfizer’s board of directors and is also a board member for KKR and a member of the advisory board at the UC Berkeley, Haas Business School. Mr. Narayen was born and raised in India before immigrating to the United States to pursue a Master’s degree. 

Satya Nadella, Microsoft 

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #6

CEO Approval Rating: 97%

As one of the most well-known CEOs on this year’s list, Satya Nadella is no stranger to the spotlight. Mr. Nadella grew up in India and immigrated to the United States to continue his education at the University of Wisconsin and University of Chicago before starting his career at Sun Microsystems and later working his way up through the ranks at Microsoft. In addition to his wide reaching responsibilities at Microsoft, Mr. Nadella is a part owner of Seattle’s Major League Soccer team, Seattle Sounders FC.

Horacio Rozanski, Booz Allen Hamilton 

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #10

CEO Approval Rating: 97%

Born and raised in Argentina, Horacio Rozanski began his career at Booz Allen as an intern in Buenos Aires 30 years ago. Since becoming CEO, he has committed to advancing diversity and inclusion at the firm. Under his leadership, Booz Allen went from zero to five women on its 12-person board, and today, eight of the company’s nine top leaders are women or people of color, including Mr. Rozanski himself. Mr. Rozanski is chairman of the board of directors for Children’s National Medical Center and a member of the board of directors at Marriott International and CARE. He received the Horatio Alger Award in 2020.

Aneel Bhusri, Workday

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #21

CEO Approval Rating: 96%

Indian American Aneel Bhusri is co-founder, co-CEO and chairman of the board of directors at Workday. Mr. Bhusri is an advisory partner at Greylock, a member of the board of trustees at Stanford University and a former board member for Intel. He also serves on the board of directors of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Mr. Bhusri has been on the Forbes Midas List six times since 2008. In 2018, he joined the Giving Pledge, a commitment by the world’s wealthiest people to dedicate most of their wealth to philanthropy. He recently donated $1 million to a San Francisco coronavirus relief fund.

Vas Narasimhan, Novartis

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #23

CEO Approval Rating: 96%

Indian businessman Vas Narasimhan has spent his life dedicated to public health, having pursued degrees in medicine, worked to combat disease in India and Africa and through his work at the World Health Organization. After a stint at McKinsey, Mr. Narasimhan joined Novartis in 2005 where he has held various roles: head of U.S. vaccines, head of the company’s Sandoz biopharmaceuticals development unit, head of global drug development and chief medical officer. He became CEO in 2018. Mr. Narasimhan is dedicated to self-improvement, regularly working with an executive coach, using meditation apps, exercising daily and following a strict vegetarian diet. 

Manny Maceda, Bain & Company

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #27

CEO Approval Rating: 96%

Filipino American businessman Manny Maceda is widely recognized as one of the most influential Asian business leaders in the U.S., honored with a 2021 Gold House award. Under Mr. Maceda’s leadership, Bain is a founding partner of The Asian American Foundation (TAAF), a recently-launched organization aimed at fostering racial inclusion, combatting discrimination, funding anti-hate projects, investing in data and research and celebrating AAPI contributions. Mr. Maceda, worldwide managing partner of Bain, is the first Asian leader in Bain’s history. He was born in the U.S. and raised in the Philippines. 

Jensen Huang, NVIDIA

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #31

CEO Approval Rating: 95%

Jensen Huang was born in Taiwan and lived in Thailand as a child, but his family sent him to the U.S as civil unrest grew. He co-founded NVIDIA, and serves as its president, CEO and board member. NVIDIA helped build the gaming market into the largest entertainment sector in the world today. Under Mr. Huang’s leadership, NVIDIA became a pioneer in computer gaming chips before expanding to design chips for data centers and autonomous cars. Mr. Huang is a recipient of the IEEE Founder’s Medal, the Dr. Morris Chang Exemplary Leadership Award and honorary doctorate degrees from Taiwan’s National Chiao Tung University and Oregon State University. In 2019, Harvard Business Review ranked him No. 1 on its list of the world’s 100 best-performing CEOs. In 2017, he was named Fortune’s Businessperson of the Year. 

Kenneth C. Frazier, Merck

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #42

CEO Approval Rating: 94%

Kenneth C. Frazier is one of the few Black corporate CEOs in America, serving as CEO and chairman of the board of Merck since 2011. ​He joined the company in 1992 and was previously general counsel and president. Mr. Frazier sits on the boards of PhRMA, Weill Cornell Medicine and Exxon Mobil Corporation. He is co-founder and co-chair of OneTen, a coalition of leading organizations committed to upskilling, hiring and promoting one million Black Americans into family-sustaining jobs. As a champion of social justice and economic inclusion, Mr. Frazier is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. In 2018, he was named one the World’s Greatest Leaders by Fortune Magazine. In 2019, he became the first recipient of the Forbes Lifetime Achievement Award for Healthcare. Mr. Fraizer has called for business leaders to be a “unifying force” to help solve racial inequalities by creating new opportunities and jobs. 

Ali Ghodsi, Databricks

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #50

CEO Approval Rating: 94%

Ali Ghodsi was born in the middle of Iran’s revolution. At age 5, his family was given 24 hours to flee the country and they left for Sweden. The Swedish Iranian computer scientist and entrepreneur is co-founder and CEO of data software startup Databricks. Valued at $28 billion in early 2021, Databricks is backed by industry powerhouses including Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Salesforce. Mr. Ghodsi describes Databricks as a “data lake house” that helps companies like Comcast, Credit Suisse and T-Mobile securely store and utilize their data. Mr. Ghodsi serves as an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley and is on the board at UC Berkeley’s RiseLab. 

Kevin Lobo, Stryker

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #54

CEO Approval Rating: 94%

Kevin A. Lobo is the CEO and chairman of the board of Stryker. Under Mr. Lobo’s leadership, Stryker supplies more than 100 countries with medical devices. Previously the president of Johnson & Johnson Medical Products, Mr. Lobo now serves on the board of directors for the Parker Hannifin Corporation and the U.S.-India Business Council in addition to his roles at Stryker. He is a physician and speaks fluent French as a result of his upbringing in Montreal. In addition to English, Mr. Lobo also speaks a bit of Konkani and Hindi. 

Sean Yalamanchi, Infovision Inc.

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #55

CEO Approval Rating: 93%

Sean Yalamanchi is the co-founder, president and a board member of Infovision. Mr. Yalamanchi is passionate about entrepreneurship and philanthropy. As the head of Infovision, Mr. Yalamanchi is active in the local Dallas tech community and encourages his team to actively recruit graduates from the University of Texas at Dallas, where he regularly leads research with their academic teams.

Eric S. Yuan, Zoom Video Communications

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #63

CEO Approval Rating: 93%

Born in China, billionaire Eric Yuan is the founder of Zoom, a video communications tool that went public in 2019 and soared in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Mr. Yuan’s direction, Zoom was one of the highest-performing tech IPOs of 2019. He has been named one of the Most Powerful People in Enterprise Tech by Business Insider. In 2019, he was added to the Bloomberg 50 as a leader who changed global business. Mr. Yuan is named as an inventor on 11 issued and 20 pending patents.

Jay Chaudhry, Zscaler

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #71

CEO Approval Rating: 92%

Indian American entrepreneur and businessman Jay Chaudhry was born in the Indian Himalayas where his remote village did not have electricity or running water. Today, he’s CEO of Zscaler, a cybersecurity firm that he founded in 2008 to protect customers from cyberattacks and data loss in remote environments like the cloud. Before Zscaler, Mr. Chaudhry founded four other tech companies that were all acquired: SecureIT, CoreHarbor, CipherTrust and AirDefense. Mr. Chaudhry has been honored as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Southeast USA), an Information Week Innovator & Influencer, an SC Magazine Market Entrepreneur and has been named to the Goldman Sachs 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs.

Sundar Pichai, Google

Top CEOs 2021 Ranking: #90

CEO Approval Rating: 90%Sundar Pichai was born into humble beginnings in Chennai, India, where he didn’t have a computer, telephone or family car and slept on the living room floor. He’s now the CEO of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google, which he joined in 2004. Under his leadership, Google has focused on developing products and services powered by the latest advances in AI, invested in new opportunities such as Google Cloud and has innovated around advanced technologies, including machine learning and quantum computing. Mr. Pichai is helping India battle the coronavirus crisis by pledging $18 million in aid from Google and its employees to provide critical supplies like oxygen and testing equipment, as well as technical expertise and other resources.

ShandraJohnson

I love to research and I’m very organized. I’ve worked in retail which is enjoyed. I wish I could find a job that allowed me to have more time with my son.

May is Asian and Pacific American Heritage (APAH) Month, which offers an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the multitudes of Asian history and culture. Garnering this deeper understanding feels especially important this year. The AAPI community has experienced 6,603 hate incidents against them from March 19, 2020, to March 31, 2021, according to Stop AAPI Hate’s national report. According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, there has also been a 164% increase in hate crimes against the AAPI community in 2021 alone. 

For Asian and Pacific American Heritage (APAH) Month, we wanted to create an editorial series that showcases the faces of our Asian employees to gain their authentic perspective of how it’s like to be Asian at work. Our goal for the Asian@Work Dairies campaign is to capture internal employees’ raw and honest experiences juggling working from home, taking care of their families, and witnessing hate crimes within the Asian communities. 

Glassdoor Asian Impact Network – our Pan Asian Employee Resource Group’s mission is to celebrate and support Pan Asian multiculturalism and cultivate a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. GAIN aims to elevate Glassdoor’s Asian community’s voices and empower our members in business decisions, product development, recruiting, and workplace culture. Additionally, they strive to foster professional development, mentorship, and leadership opportunities for their members.

We want to capture these transparent and genuine conversations and share them externally to act as an example of how other employers should shed some light on this issue by offering support to this subgroup of employees. Learn more about Alvin Kuang, B2C Product Designer at Glassdoor.

Glassdoor: Thank you so much for choosing to participate in the Asian@Work Diaries series. Could you please introduce yourself and how you identify?

Alvin Kuang: Thank you for having me! I choose to identify as a second-generation, Gay Chinese American who grew up in the East Bay of Northern California. I work as a Product Designer on the Glassdoor consumer engagement team.

Glassdoor: If comfortable, could you speak about the intersectionality of being gay and Asian, and can you share any personal experiences?

I think for me, one of the biggest things is navigating this intersectionality, where it’s a combination of race and sexuality together. My parents are immigrants to the United States. They don’t really have a lot of context or understanding about LGBTQ history or even the experience of who identifies in the LGBTQ community. When growing up, my parents were very supportive and gave me everything I needed to survive, but there came a certain point when I realized that there were specific things they didn’t really know how to support me in.

I personally don’t feel any anger towards them because I felt given the context of how they grew up and what they’ve been through, it was hard to expect that they would be able to proactively discover resources for me while raising their children, taking care of their own families, and building a new life in a foreign country. So, instead I had to lean heavily on my chosen family, which consisted of a lot of my friends who were extremely supportive, understanding, and open to me discussing my discovery process pertaining to my intersectional identity, particularly being queer and asian. To this day, I weigh the importance of my chosen family almost on the same level as my biological family since they both contributed greatly to my self-development and who I am today albeit from different aspects of my personhood.

Glassdoor: Thank you so much for sharing. It’s pretty layered. Leading into more into the person of color side, have you ever encountered them model minority myth in your career? And if so, how, how has it affected you?

Alvin Kuang: This question is a little bit harder to answer because the model minority myth is not always so explicit. It has become almost integrated into these normalized interactions or expectations, especially within corporate settings. It’s tough to identify if it’s actively happening to you or maybe something that was part of a behind the scenes discussion that you weren’t included in. I think where the model minority myth comes in is that sometimes it doesn’t matter if you actually do speak up more in meetings, if the other person is already biased in their way of viewing you, even if you’re doing it more, they won’t see it due to their own biases that are beyond your control. You can be doing the work, but if the other person isn’t trained to understand their biases, then you are essentially at a roadblock. That’s why I think it’s important to raise awareness and educate others like policy makers around these concepts to bring in the perspective and impact positive change. It’s also important because I believe there are likely many Asian-Americans who grew up benefiting from the model minority myth without realizing what it was, how systemic it is, and how harmful the effects are on their own and other marginalized communities – ultimately leading to the perpetuation and normalization of it. Increasing educational awareness within our communities and outside of our communities helps to benefit everyone so that they can develop more self-awareness, check their own biases and begin to look internally, questioning the things that they were taught or brought up with that they didn’t even realize or question as the status quo.

Glassdoor: I know that the model minority myth is specific to Asian culture, but those bias undertones can be seen across the POC spectrum. It’s so important to, like you said, bring awareness to dismantle these oppressive systems that we as people of color are intrinsically buying into because it leads up to success and stability. With that said, how do you think companies can mitigate and solve biases when it comes to the Asian community?

Alvin Kuang: I truly believe that only through unity can we create a larger impact and change towards building a better world. Creating the spaces where we can have people learn vulnerably and be willing to sign-up for educational programs like Glassdoor’s allyship workshops that have been being conducted are great examples of how to foster this dialogue and be more open to discussing it and asking questions.

And then hopefully, those that are in control of creating those policies can have more insight into those decisions being made since they are better equipped to empathize with those they would be effecting. Additionally, other folks from marginalized communities can share their perspectives and get a more shared common understanding leading to more solidarity. A lot of times, there are many more patterns and similarities that we share than we may realize, regardless of our cultural upbringing or background.

Glassdoor: Totally, we’re more alike than different. Pivoting to what’s going on in the world. There’s been really an unfortunate uptake of hate crimes against the Asian community, as we’ve seen in 2020 and now in 2021. How do you feel about these recent hate crimes against your community, and how has it affected you?

Alvin Kuang: Honestly, it’s been very disheartening. I think it’s excruciating because this family concept is just very huge in Asian culture. So, when you see on the news that there are other folks who look like your relatives being attacked, whether they’re older women, young kids, fathers, etc. it feels like it is a member of your own family. I think that’s how a lot of our community processes these incidents. So you can imagine that if you’re constantly hearing your family members are being attacked, it makes you feel really fearful because members of your community are seen as relatives who have taken care of and raised you.

I think it’s really shocking for many Asian Americans to realize that the very thing they’ve been doing, which is “playing by the rules,” isn’t necessarily working and is actually demonstrating the model minority myth in action. Asians are starting to take a more active role in defining their existence and presence which is inspiring. As difficult as it’s been to see all of these hate crimes, what gives me hope is that there’s a lot more awareness being raised within the Asian community around the model minority myth and how far that expands as well as amongst other marginalized groups.

The unity that I’m starting to see in terms of support both within the Asian community, that is so diverse, and outside of the Asian community is incredibly compelling. Prior to the influx of hate crimes, the model minority myth was working so well that a lot of Asians didn’t even really know where they stood within the social fabric of the country. Now, things are becoming clearer and folks are taking a more proactive role in amplifying their voices. Unfortunately, it has taken something as serious as what’s going on right now to have this sort of deeper acknowledgment.

Glassdoor: Thank you. That was so beautifully said. Lastly, how has Glassdoor been supportive of your community during this?

Alvin Kuang: Glassdoor has been really great in the sense as they’ve been highlighting a lot of the GAIN ERG work that’s being done. The organization of the connection circles for current events and sharing what’s affecting various other marginalized communities have been a great way to connect with humanity. I was amazed by the difference that it made for me and being able to actually have these candid conversations with other colleagues who I may or may not work with regularly and to be open about how tired we may be feeling or how we’re processing all the events that are going on while still coming to work. To share and connect across experiences that may or may not be similar to you is something truly amazing.

Glassdoor: Thank you so much, Alvin. I appreciate your time. And just your honesty in sharing your experiences.

ShandraJohnson

I love to research and I’m very organized. I’ve worked in retail which is enjoyed. I wish I could find a job that allowed me to have more time with my son.

To celebrate Black History Month, Glassdoor will highlight several influential Black employees within our BUILD ERG (Blacks, United, In Leadership and Development) across the customer success, content, engineering, product verticals throughout February. These leaders are diverse, passionate, and driven and are incredible examples of Black Excellence.

Meet Andrea Johnson, a senior manager on the customer success team and co-chair of BUILD (Blacks United in Leadership & Development) at Glassdoor. Her passion for people’s shared experiences and the celebration of diversity have been driving forces in her professional and personal history. As a child of a white mother, a nurse, and human rights advocate, and a black father, a business entrepreneur, her childhood was filled with cultural exploration, social activism, and inspiring mentors from all walks of life. Those interests led to defining life experiences such as travel and volunteer work, shaping the personal brand of leadership she holds today. Johnson prides herself on leveraging and interweaving her unique background to advocate for change and empower those she leads. 

After graduating from Sonoma State University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, she ultimately landed in Glassdoor’s Customer Success department, where she has been since 2014. During her time at Glassdoor, Andrea has moved from front-line client services to the leadership team by creating novel processes and playbooks to address both revenue growth and new business generation. In 2020,  she founded Glassdoor’s Black employee resource group (BUILD) and has served as its co-chair since its inception. 

We sat down for a Q&A with Johnson to learn more about her career trajectory, bi-racial background and thoughts on what Black Excellence means to her.

Q: Share your career journey. What led you down the path of your current profession?

A: Reflecting on this, I can see that my path definitely hasn’t been anywhere close to straight! At the end of high school and college, I dabbled in food service, a disability resource center, a teen center, and my longest stint was at Barnes & Noble as a bookseller (I still love reading). After graduating, I went into retail management (Kohl’s) and then into a Licensed Relationship Banker (Chase Bank) role before deciding to take a year off and travel internationally, staying in hostels and doing work exchanges. When I came back, I tried to be intentional about my next job: I wanted to do something I felt passionate about gave me some personal satisfaction. Glassdoor’s mission really resonated with me, so I made a lateral move to join as an Associate Customer Success Manager back in 2014. Admittedly I was nervous about something that felt like I wasn’t moving upward in my next career step, but I feel like it really paid off: I am still passionate about what I do and have been growing in my career here ever since. I suppose the common theme with all of these jobs is a passion for helping and working with people.

Q: How has your biracial background shaped your professional and personal journey?

A: I was talking to a good friend of mine about this recently, and he said, “Wow, it’s like your superpower!” I laughed, but it definitely made me reflect on how much I love my biracial identity. I see racial and social issues deeply from two distinct perspectives, and that view shapes my daily life and how I advocate for change. I try to leverage my history and experience in the way I lead at work and how I interact with people in my community. However, I would add that as much as I embrace my heritage, existing at the intersection of identities can also be very challenging. Sometimes it feels lonely: a feeling that my opinion or experience is always just outside the group’s norm. Learning about other people’s stories, cultures, and backgrounds is my passion, which likely stems from wanting the nuances of each person’s identity to be recognized in the same way I want that for myself. It’s important for all people to “find their tribe.” For me, that has meant actively seeking out those shared biracial experiences, in addition to celebrating both sides of my ancestry individually. 

Q: Do you feel that Glassdoor has celebrated and supported your cultural identity and surrounding community, and if so, how has it successfully done that? If not, how could it do so better?

A: Glassdoor is on a journey towards increasing belonging and inclusivity, as well as acknowledging and embracing diversity. While I think we’re still a way off from that goal, I can say that I have never worked for a company trying as hard to get there. The biggest thing we can all do is keep challenging our own biases and preconceptions, trying to ensure that all people have a seat at the table and the space to have their voices heard. 

Q: What does Black History Month mean to you, and how are you planning to celebrate this year?

A: This month is my reminder to remember, with intention: from historical icons, like Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr, to the loving and empowering figures in my personal life, like my father, Mama Hall, and Reverend Coffee. These people, and the experiences I had with them, shaped my upbringing and taught me to be proud of being Black. They also taught me to keep dreaming, be the best I can be, and keep fighting to move us forward. I plan to celebrate by honoring these memories and motivations. I am also looking for new ways to connect with folks in my community during the month — COVID has certainly made it harder this year!

Q: This year’s Black History Month theme is Black Excellence. How do you define Black Excellence?

A: When I was young, my father gave me a laminated copy of these words:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? . . . Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people will not feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine . . . and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” –Marianne Williamson. A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles” (1992)

For years these words have been attributed to Nelson Mandela, and it wasn’t until recently that I learned they actually were written by someone else! Nevertheless, these words inspire the way I think about Black Excellence: to be bold, beautiful, and powerful, despite the challenges we face, to celebrate everything that makes us unique and what unites us in our humanity.

Q: How do you feel about being the Co-chair for BUILD? How is BUILD positively impacting diversity and inclusion at Glassdoor?

A: My work with BUILD has truly been an anchor for me during the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, and Glassdoor’s recent business restructure. When the world seemed upside down, I felt grounded in the work we were doing. I am so grateful to partner with the most incredible group of leaders, both in BUILD and Glassdoor’s other employee resource groups. They are intelligent, passionate, courageous, creative, open, empathetic, and supportive. Don’t get me wrong, it’s A LOT of work, but it feels like it’s the right kind of work. We push each other to be better people, show up for each other, and challenge the status quo, and because of that, we are building something better for Glassdoor. 

ShandraJohnson

I love to research and I’m very organized. I’ve worked in retail which is enjoyed. I wish I could find a job that allowed me to have more time with my son.