CRN A-Listers reveal which tech figurehead impressed them the most this year

Which industry icons were the most favourably looked upon by the UK’s channel elite in 2021?

Elon Musk has once again triumphed as the tech figurehead that most impressed the UK channel, edging out competition from Microsoft's Satya Nadella and Dell founder Michael Dell.

Out of the 109 channel execs that we asked as part of CRN's A-list 2022, Elon Musk was chosen by 16 per cent of all respondents.

View the full CRN A-list 2022, produced in association with Agilitas, and access individual A-List profiles here.

Top execs including Ingram Micro's SVP for the UK and Ireland, Matt Sanderson, and Google's UK and Ireland channel director Simon Aldous, said that they have been impressed by both the global success and the pace of innovation of the Tesla founder.

"Elon Musk has led the way in technological innovation this year, making global headlines with SpaceX, while Tesla also continues to lead the way in electric cars, driving the clean energy message. As well as that his current project, Neuralink, deals with the enhancement of what the human brain is capable of. This minutely invasive brain computer interface is pioneering and speaks to the way in which artificial intelligence could materially reshape our world," said Sanderson in the A-List.

"I think Elon Musk has really established himself as a leader in the industry. Both of these innovations will be of substantial value to so many people and the planet - I'm excited to see what the future holds for Elon and his ongoing initiatives," Aldous adds.

The tech figurehead that came a relatively close second place behind Musk was Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella who was chosen by nine per cent of A-Listers.

Aptum CEO Susan Bowen said that Nadella hasn't only impressed in continuing to shift Microsoft to the cloud during the pandemic, but also in transforming the culture of the tech giant.

"As a leader, he enables his employees through clear communication and purpose. He also frequently shares his life lessons, which I have personally found inspiring. Under Satya's leadership, Microsoft has transformed its culture and influenced many of us in the industry," she said.

Forrester analyst Jay McBain also picked Nadella, commenting on how Microsoft has surpassed a valuation of $2tn under his leadership while keeping the channel "front and centre" of its strategy.

Michael Dell and Salesforce's Marc Benioff also received multiple mentions from the A-Listers. Dell was picked by Softcat CEO Graeme Watt who pointed to his ability to "bring sharp execution to a very large business". Meanwhile ANS Group CEO Paul Shannon said he was impressed by Benioff's offer to relocate Salesforce staff out of Texas this year after the state changed its abortion laws.

"This takes real fortitude to take the stand and commitment to follow through on the relocation assistance for an unknown number of people when the offer was made," he said.