Fortune Magazine: Masiyiwa, Rotich, Others Named “World’s 50 greatest leaders”

Fortune Magazine has published its annual list of World’s 50 greatest leaders featuring influential and not-so influential leaders who are helping to shape the world’s future generation(s).

Group Chairman and Founder of Econet Wireless CEO, Strive Masiyiwa and Nonprofit Ushahidi’s co-founder and executive director Juliana Rotich were the only Africans listed this year.

Masiyiwa was named 35^th on the list, beating Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki and CEO for ArcelorMittal, Lakshmi Mittal. Juliana Rotich also made the list in number 47.

While the Rockefeller Foundation described Masiyiwa as truly one of Africa’s most influential figures, with his good counsel sought by world leaders and CEOs,” the institution lauded Ushandi’s Juliana Rotich for helping to seed the fast-growing East African tech industry and reimagined what technology can do.

Fortune Magazine described Masiyiwa him as a persuasive advocate for development opportunities and the creation of strong government institutions.

“Nearly two decades ago Masiyiwa fought and won a key court battle to open Zimbabwe’s telecom industry to private investment. Masiyiwa, who sits on the Africa Progress Panel as well as the boards of Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa and the Rockefeller Foundation, is a persuasive advocate for development opportunities and the creation of 

strong government institutions,” Fortune wrote.

Rockefeller Foundation president Judith Rodin also described him as “a champion for the power of technology to improve the lives of millions.”

Masiyiwa first came to international prominence when he fought a landmark constitutional legal battle for 5 years in the African country of Zimbabwe. The ruling which led to the removal of the monopoly of the state in telecommunications is generally regarded as one of the key milestones, in opening the African telecommunications sector to private capital.

The top 25 ‘World’s 50 Greatest Leaders’ according to Fortune are:

 Pope Francis

Angela Merkel

Alan Mulally

Warren Buffett

Bill Clinton

Aung San Suu Kyi

Gen. Joe Dunford

Bono

Dalai Lama

Jeff Bezos

Derek Jeter

Geoffrey Canada

Christine Lagarde

Paul Polman

Micheal Bloomberg

Jack Ma

Maria Klawe

Kenneth Chenault

Kathy Giusti

Tie: Mike Krzyzewski, Gregg Popovich, Dawn Staley (all sport Coaches)

Angelina Jolie

Zhang Ruimin

Carlos Ghosn

Gabrielle Giffords

Wendy Kopp