Get Career Inspiration From These 5 CEOs of Successful Companies
Are you thinking of starting your own business or simply needing work inspiration? Wherever you are in your professional life, you could always use a boost from people at the peak of their careers. To help you out, JobStreet made a list of today's trending CEOs (Chief Executive Officers) of big companies. These most inspiring business leaders have some of the best success stories filled with must-learn lessons and tips!
Top 5 CEOs of Successful Companies
Ready to get inspired? Read up on some of the world's famous business leaders who will push you to plan your life and take action. Included in the list are some of the biggest companies with female CEOs or founders.
1. Melanie Perkins
CEO and co-founder, Canva
About the CEO: Perkins, who dropped out of college to pursue her business with then partner and now husband Cliff Obrecht, is only in her 30s. Perkins endeavors to make Canva an inclusive company by giving equal opportunities to women. As a result, Canvas's workforce is more than 40% female, notably higher than the tech industry's average.
About the company: Since the Australian graphic design tool Canva was introduced in 2013, it has become a household name worldwide. In its initial year of having more than 750,000 users, it has now grown to a usage of over 100 million in almost 200 countries. With locations in Sydney, Beijing, and Manila, Canva has gained popularity for its user-friendly platform wherein anyone can create professional-looking designs.
Business Inspiration: Perkins got the idea for her business when she was a working college student, tutoring graphic design students. She noticed that design software tended to be too complex, requiring a lot of time for learning. In 2007, Perkins co-founded Fusion Books with Obrecht. Its initial application was through school yearbooks, which students could design on their own, thanks to templates, which they can fill with text and photos. In five years, Fusion Books became the largest yearbook company in Australia.
Road to Success: According to Perkins, it was a challenge to find investors for Canva. But she and Obrecht persevered, and after two years, they finally got funding and a good tech team. Today, Canva is said to be valued at $6 billion.
Image source: Melanie Perkins' Twitter
2. Whitney Wolfe Herd
CEO, Bumble
About the CEO: Herd is the former vice president of marketing of Tinder, currently the number one dating app. In 2014, she resigned due to a sexual harassment lawsuit she filed against the company. Later on, Herd was inspired to start her female-friendly dating platform. The result was Bumble, which garnered quick success.
About the company: Bumble is an online dating platform introduced in 2014. With over 40 million active users, it is second to Tinder regarding application downloads. Launched in 2014, Bumble states on its website that it encourages women "to make the first move, giving them the ability to control the conversation." It's also a venue for users to form non-romantic ties through Bumble BFF and Biz, which foster friendships and professional relationships.
Business Inspiration: Herd wanted to create a female-focused dating app that made women feel safe and in control. In Bumble, women initiate the conversation, helping them avoid an influx of messages from men despite a match.
Road to success: Herd showed her entrepreneurial spirit earlier on. During her college years, she sold eco-friendly tote bags made from bamboo to raise funds for areas affected by the 2010 oil spill off the coast of the United States. She also created a clothing line to raise social awareness of fair trade and human trafficking. In developing Bumble, Herd partnered with Badoo, a popular dating website. In 2021, she made the company public, which boosted her net worth to $1.5 billion, making her the youngest self-made female billionaire in the world.
Image source: Bumble's Investor Relations
3. Jason Citron
CEO, Discord
About the CEO: Citron has been a fan of gaming since he was a child. This led him to pursue coding in his teens, and by sixteen years old, he was already writing codes for various companies. This passion fueled him to finish a master's degree in game design and development and develop games for studios. His first business venture was a mobile gaming app, which he later sold. What took off was Discord, an instant messaging app that connects millions of users.
About the Company: Inaugurated in 2016, Discord was slow going at first, appealing to only a handful of users. But the patronage steadily increased, leading to its current count of 150 million users in about 4 billion active servers weekly. The company is valued at $15 billion and used by diverse groups with common interests.
Business Inspiration: Citron and co-founder Stan Vishnevskiy wanted to create a platform wherein people from around the world can communicate while playing online games. While previous communication tools for gamers were complicated and slow, Discord promised faster exchanges and better collaboration, significantly improving the gaming experience.
Road to Success: Discord prides itself on using complex technology to produce a simple platform for communication. After a few years since its launch, its users ballooned, and the app gained popularity through word-of-mouth. Discord has partnered with the Fortnite video game and other apps like Twitch, Spotify, and Xbox to expand its reach. Until now, Discord's main features remain free for use.
Image source: Jason Citron's Twitter
4. Selena Gomez
Founder, Rare Beauty
About the Founder: Gomez has been active in show business since the tender age of 10. Aside from being an actress, she's also a successful recording artist and entrepreneur, having her own production company, ice cream brand, and cosmetics line, Rare Beauty. Gomez is a familiar face in philanthropy, being a UNICEF spokesperson and an advocate of mental health awareness, the LGBT community, and equal rights.
About the Company: Rare Beauty was formally launched in 2020, the same year Gomez's studio album Rare was released. The brand has received several awards for product excellence, such as the Allure Best of Beauty Awards and the Cosmopolitan Beauty Awards.
Business Inspiration: On its website, the makeup line states that it promotes inclusivity and self-acceptance while supporting "mental well-being across age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, cultural background, physical or mental ability, and perspective."
Road to Success: Rare Beauty markets itself as a cruelty-free brand, using vegan ingredients and eco-friendly packaging. From North America, the line expanded into Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Part of the brand's sales goes to Gomez's Rare Impact Fund, which helps connect the youth to mental health resources.
Image source: Selena Gomez' Twitter
5. Rihanna
CEO, Fenty Beauty
About the CEO: Born in Barbados, Rihanna made waves in the music scene after signing with Jay-Z's record label, Def Jam Recordings. In 2005, she released her first single, Pon de Replay, which achieved international success. Since then, Rihanna has come out with several albums, earning her the title of pop icon.
About the Company: Fenty Beauty's tagline, "Beauty for All" encompasses the cosmetics brand's mission of inclusivity. Introduced in 2017, the line received recognition for its wide range of products catering to diverse skin tones. Because of Fenty's success, other makeup companies began expanding their offerings to appeal to a bigger market.
Business Inspiration: Rihanna has always shown her good business sense, releasing fragrances, a clothing line, skin care products, and a lingerie brand. The artist is passionate about fashion, which has become the basis for her ventures, including Fenty Beauty.
Road to Success: Fenty Beauty was born out of Rihanna's years of experimenting with makeup and realizing that some products are incompatible with specific skin types and shades. In 2017, Time Magazine touted the brand as one of the year's best inventions. Incidentally, Fenty is Rihanna's surname.
What do these five successful CEOs have in common? They all saw unique business opportunities that matched their strengths, skills, and other resources. Often, entrepreneurs strike gold not because they are cashing on a trend but because they give their all on something they believe in. A business is a reflection of its owner's values and expertise.
Image source: Rihanna's Twitter
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