Behind the success of every corporation lies the shadow of at least one “key person.” Their decisions and strategies can sometimes change the entire machinery of the global technology landscape. Here are the portraits of the most brilliant leaders in the technology sector, as voted by BusinessWeek Online.
1. Steve Jobs (Apple, Pixar) 
No one, and I mean no one in the tech kingdom, has had a year as remarkable as the CEO of Apple Computer. The “Apple” continues to lead the charge in the most stylish trends of 2005 with products like the iPod nano and video iPod. Not to mention the Mac mini, the cheapest computer Apple has ever released.
Indeed, there is no “key person” who can shoot with both hands like Jobs. Apple’s success is well-known, and the animation studio Pixar, led by Jobs, has made waves in Hollywood with blockbuster hits like “Finding Nemo” and “The Incredibles.”
This explains why Jobs was able to persuade Disney to agree to provide popular TV shows like Lost on the video iPod. Disney wanted to strengthen its relationship with Pixar, the leading animation studio today, especially since the iPod is already so “hot.” An estimated 10 million Apple music players are expected to sell out this quarter. The company’s stock price is projected to double from January 1, 2005, reaching $73.
2. Terry Semel (Yahoo!)
2005 was not an impressive year for Yahoo! on Wall Street, nor for its CEO Terry Semel. Yahoo! shares hovered around $40, a 6% increase from the beginning of the year, while its competitor Google saw its stock price more than double, surpassing $400.
However, working in the shadow of Yahoo!, the hottest tech company in the world, has its advantages. Semel and his team have diligently built one of the most diverse business models in the “village” of the Internet. They sell everything from flashing ads on screens to search results, from paid music services to high-speed Internet access. Yahoo! resembles a bubbling hotpot, with revenue increasing by 42% this year, reaching $3.7 billion.
Unabashedly ambitious, Yahoo! is also venturing into telecommunications, competing with Skype and partnering with Verizon Communications to sell high-speed Internet packages. The recent recruitment of a slew of talent in search programming signals that the Yahoo-Google battle next year will be hotter than ever.
3. Kim Shin Bae – SK Telecom
In a country where nearly everyone over 15 years old owns at least one mobile phone, it is challenging for mobile companies to maintain growth. However, since Kim Shin Bae became the CEO of South Korea’s largest mobile network (March 2004), SK Telecom has boldly ventured into new business areas and enjoyed double-digit revenue growth.
What is Kim’s secret? Quite simple: when “voice” has reached saturation, focus on data and content.
At 51, Kim launched an “online music store” with around 500,000 subscribers and utilized satellites to broadcast television programs to the screens of 300,000 other subscribers, while also activating a wireless Internet portal. This platform offers all the trendy multimedia services such as video on demand, online gaming, and RSS. Next year, SK’s network will continue to be upgraded to even higher speeds to serve video, gaming, graphics, and bandwidth-hungry content.
Furthermore, SK will continue to reach out internationally through a $440 million joint venture with EarthLink in the United States. Additionally, SK is heavily investing in Vietnam’s S-Fone network.
4. Jeffrey Immelt – General Electric
According to Jeff Immelt, the definition of a dream company is to always lead in technology, moving forward at a relaxed pace while projected revenues exceed $160 billion. The 49-year-old CEO of General Electric has urged his employees to “dare” to propose a series of “three new” products and services: open new markets, develop new technology, and attract new customers.
GE’s current products rely more on biotechnology and wind power rather than outdated light bulbs and microwaves. Additionally, Immelt’s strategy focuses on emerging markets like China.
5. Edward Zander (Motorola)
When Edward took the reins at Motorola in 2004, the ultra-thin Razr phone was already in the lab. However, it was under Zander’s magical touch that the Razr truly took off, becoming a “blockbuster” and revitalizing a culture called Motorola.
Zander, now 58, infused the entire sluggish Motorola machine with an unprecedented sense of urgency. Not only did the Razr hit the market hard, but over 100 million other Motorola phones also jumped into consumers’ hands in 2005. Motorola’s market share increased from 13.5% in Q3 2004—the time the Razr was launched—to nearly 19% during the same period this year. “It’s like a single hit that forces everyone to buy the entire album,” Zander compares. “But we still need more.”
To continue producing chart-topping products like this, Zander—seen here wearing the Razrwire along with a Motorola phone—emphasizes that departments need to collaborate closely and provide relentless customer care. Previously, departments operated independently, and consumers were always considered secondary. But now, Motorola has changed its perspective, and consumers worldwide can see that.
6. Richard Parsons (Time Warner) 
As CEO of Time Warner, Richard D. Parsons has achieved what can only be described as miraculous: the company’s stock price has nearly returned to levels from three years ago when he first took over. It is important to note that after the disastrous merger with AOL in 2001, Time Warner’s stock plummeted. However, for most of 2005, Parsons gradually steered the business of the world’s largest media company back on track.
Parsons has decisively tackled each of Time Warner’s headaches, from reducing debt and selling off underperforming divisions to neatly resolving federal investigations and shareholder lawsuits.
With news leaking that several giants like Microsoft, Google, and Comcast are interested in purchasing stakes in AOL, it seems Parsons is on the verge of successfully shedding the last “monster” in his empire. If Parsons can further increase the stock price, all the loudest critics will have no excuses left to speak up.
(To be continued)
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