The European business landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by innovation, sustainability, and resilience in the face of economic and geopolitical challenges. This curated list highlights 25 leaders shaping the future across tech, energy, finance, and retail. Drawing from recent executive moves, industry rankings, and trending discussions, these individuals are poised to make significant impacts in 2025. Each entry includes the leader’s role, company, country, and why they’re noteworthy.
Tech
- Nikolay Storonsky, CEO, Revolut (UK)
- Driving Revolut’s $45 billion valuation and expansion into banking, crypto, and telecom across 30+ EEA countries. His focus on product diversification and regulatory agility makes him a fintech trailblazer.
- Ilkka Paananen, CEO, Supercell (Finland)
- Leading the mobile gaming giant behind Clash of Clans, Paananen is pushing AI-driven game development and sustainable growth, with Supercell’s 2024 revenue topping €2 billion.
- Daniel Ek, CEO, Spotify (Sweden)
- Ek’s pivot to podcasts and AI personalization has kept Spotify ahead in streaming. His 2025 focus is on profitability and expanding into audiobooks, challenging Amazon’s Audible.
- Anne Boden, Founder, Starling Bank (UK)
- After stepping down as CEO, Boden remains a fintech influencer, advising startups and advocating for women in tech. Her Engine platform drives SME banking innovation.
- Herta von Stiegel, CEO, Ariya Finergy (Austria)
- Pioneering blockchain for energy trading, von Stiegel is scaling Ariya’s platform to integrate renewables across European grids, with €50 million in funding secured in 2024.
Energy
- Anders Opedal, CEO, Equinor (Norway)
- Steering Equinor’s transition to renewables, Opedal aims for 12–16 GW of clean energy capacity by 2030, balancing oil revenues with net-zero goals.
- Teresa Ribera, EU Energy Commissioner (Spain)
- Ribera’s leadership in the EU’s Green Deal and REPowerEU plan is accelerating decarbonization, with €1 trillion in energy transition investments planned by 2030.
- Henrik Andersen, CEO, Vestas (Denmark)
- As head of the world’s largest wind turbine maker, Andersen is navigating supply chain challenges to meet Europe’s 30% wind energy target by 2030.
- Salvatore Bernabei, CEO, Enel Green Power (Italy)
- Bernabei leads Enel Green Power, a global renewable energy company with operations across five continents. Under his leadership, the company manages over 1,300 plants worldwide, generating energy from solar, geothermal, wind, and hydropower sources.
- Paolo Scaroni, Chairman, Enel Green Power (Italy)
- Scaroni serves as the Chairman of Enel Green Power, overseeing strategic decisions to advance the company's renewable energy initiatives globally.
Finance
- Antoine Lissowski, CEO, CNP Assurances (France)
- Lissowski is digitizing France’s largest insurer, with AI-driven underwriting and €500 million in green investments, aligning with EU sustainability mandates.
- Sergio Ermotti, CEO, UBS (Switzerland)
- Post-Credit Suisse acquisition, Ermotti is streamlining UBS’s operations and boosting wealth management, targeting €100 billion in new client assets by 2025.
- Ana Botín, Executive Chair, Santander (Spain)
- Botín’s focus on digital banking and Latin American growth has made Santander Europe’s most resilient bank, with €1.2 trillion in assets under management.
- Christian Sewing, CEO, Deutsche Bank (Germany)
- Sewing has been at the helm of Deutsche Bank since 2018, steering the bank through significant restructuring and focusing on strengthening its core businesses.
- Noel Quinn, Former CEO, HSBC (UK)
- After stepping down in 2024, Quinn is advising European fintechs and green finance initiatives, leveraging his expertise in global banking transformation.
Retail
- Karl-Johan Persson, Chairman, H&M (Sweden)
- Persson is accelerating H&M’s sustainability push, with 50% of materials sourced sustainably by 2025, while expanding its second-hand clothing platform.
- Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO, Klarna (Sweden)
- Leading Klarna’s AI-driven buy-now-pay-later expansion, Siemiatkowski is targeting profitability in 2025 after a $40 billion valuation in 2024.
- Franck Gervais, CEO, Pierre & Vacances-Center Parcs (France)
- Gervais is revitalizing Europe’s largest holiday resort operator, with €1 billion in eco-friendly upgrades to attract post-COVID travelers.
- Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, Chairman, Ingka Group (IKEA) (Sweden)
- Jarnheimer chairs the Ingka Group, the largest franchisee of IKEA stores worldwide. He plays a pivotal role in guiding the company's strategic direction and sustainability efforts.
- Sharon White, Former Chair, John Lewis Partnership (UK)
- After stepping down in 2024, White is advising retail startups on omnichannel strategies, drawing on her transformation of John Lewis’s e-commerce.
Emerging Leaders
- Klaus Roewe, CEO, Lilium (Germany)
- Roewe leads Lilium, a German aerospace company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jets. Under his leadership, Lilium aims to revolutionize urban air mobility.
- Elsa Hermal, Co-Founder, Epicery (France)
- Hermal’s grocery delivery platform is disrupting retail with hyper-local sourcing, expanding to 10 European cities with €30 million in new funding.
- Roxanne Varza, Director, Station F (France)
- As head of the world’s largest startup campus, Varza is mentoring 1,000+ European founders, with Station F alumni raising €10 billion in 2024.
- Marta Krupińska, Head of Google for Startups EMEA (Poland/UK)
- Krupińska is connecting European startups to Google’s AI and cloud tools, with her accelerator programs supporting 500+ companies in 2024.
- Emma Nehrenheim, President, Northvolt Materials (Sweden)
- Driving Europe’s battery circularity push, Nehrenheim is scaling Northvolt’s green materials division, with a goal of 50% recycled content in new batteries by 2030.
Why They Matter
These leaders reflect Europe’s diverse strengths: tech innovation, energy transition, financial resilience, and retail reinvention. From Storonsky’s fintech empire to Ribera’s policy influence, they’re navigating regulatory complexity, economic uncertainty, and sustainability demands. Their moves in 2025 will shape industries and inspire the next generation of European entrepreneurs.
