30 IT Influencers to Follow in 2024

Jeetu Patel is Cisco’s executive vice president and chief product officer. He joined Cisco in 2020, and today is one of its highest-ranking executives. Jeetu was previously the executive vice president and general manager of Cisco’s security and collaboration divisions, and he has held senior leadership positions in technology companies including Box and Dell EMC.

Kevin Roose is a popular technology columnist for The New York Times. Based in the San Francisco area, he’s a co-host of the Times tech podcast Hard Fork. Kevin is also the author of three books, including the new Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of AI, which he describes as “a guide to surviving the technological future.”

Sheri Hinish calls herself the “supply chain queen.” A senior partner for sustainability, technology and ecosystems at EY, Sheri is also the founder and host of the podcast Supply Chain Revolution.

Greg White is a principal and a host at Supply Chain Now, a media company focused on covering the latest in global supply chain performance. Greg is also a founder, board director, adviser and catalyst for disruptive B2B technology and supply chain companies.

Troy is a cybersecurity expert and the creator of Have I Been Pwned?, a website that allows users to check whether their email addresses have been included in a reported data breach. Troy is also an international speaker on information security and a blogger on his own site, troyhunt.com.

Brian Krebs is an internationally recognized expert information security. A former reporter for The Washington Post, Brian runs his own website, Krebs on Security, where he writes a daily blog on cybercrime and computer security.

Anand Eswaran is the CEO of Veeam, one of the leading providers of backup and recovery solutions. A thought leader on topics such as digital resilience, Anand had senior leadership experience with RingCentral and Microsoft prior to joining Veeam.

Kojin Oshiba is a co-founder and top executive at Robust Intelligence, recently acquired by Cisco, and a leading expert in the intersection of artificial intelligence and security. Robust Intelligence’s solution is designed to secure AI applications within enterprises. Kojin was also recently featured on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.

Eric Priante Martin is the U.S. bureau chief for TradeWinds, a publication that covers the global shipping industry. In his role there, Eric covers technology and sustainability. Eric is also the writer and co-host, respectively, of the Green Seas newsletter and podcast, which focus on the environment and the business of the ocean.

CJ Gustafson is a veteran in the world of software startups. He is the author of the Substack newsletter Mostly metrics, where he writes about his “playbooks, observations and screw-ups from scaling high-growth software companies, ” and host of the Run the Numbers podcast. In his day job, Eric is the CFO of PartsTech, a parts procurement platform for auto repair shops.

Kate Ancketill is a global thought leader in business futurism. She is the CEO and founder of the business futurist consultancy GDR. For 25 years, she has been the innovation partner to major brands such as P&G, Tesco, Target, Sephora, Microsoft, Google, Samsung, Moet Hennessy, the BBC, the National Retail Federation, and more.

Harley Finkelstein is an entrepreneur, lawyer and the president of Shopify. He founded his first company at age 17 while a student at McGill University. He has received the Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 award and been named on Fortune’s 40 Under 40 list and currently serves on the board of directors of the National Retail Federation.

Justin Honaman is the head of worldwide industry strategy and business development at Amazon Web Services. With extensive expertise in cloud technology, data analytics and AI, Justin partners with global retail and consumer goods organizations to enhance customer experiences. He is also a speaker, host of the ContenderCast podcast and the author of several books, including Be Extraordinary and Make It Happen.

James Stark is the segment development manager for retail at Axis Communications. He leads cross-functional initiatives with business data analytics to optimize security measures, risk management and customer experience. He has more than 30 years of experience in the retail industry and specializes in loss prevention, safety, e-commerce fraud and supply chain security.

Shamim Mohammed is the executive vice president and chief information and technology officer at CarMax. With a focus on advanced analytics, AI and cloud, he drives transformative strategies that enhance customer engagement and operational efficiency. With over two decades of excellence in IT and business, he’s received awards from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management, Forbes and more.

Dan Schulman is a technology and financial services business leader and board member at JUST Capital. He’s been recognized as a Businessperson of the Year by Fortune and as a Ripple of Hope laureate by the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights organization.

Jack Sweeney is host and creator of the CFO Thought Leader Podcast and author of The CFO Yearbook, 2022. He is a senior contributing writer to Forbes and the managing director of Middle Market Executive magazine.

Nicholas Boucher is the founder of AI Finance Club. This masterclass network of courses and expert content empowers members to explore artificial intelligence-driven solutions for real-world financial challenges.

Thasunda Brown Duckett is the president and CEO of TIAA, a major provider of financial services for retirement, investment and banking. She is committed to helping diverse communities secure their financial futures.

Anna Marrs is the group president of global commercial services and credit and fraud risk at American Express. As a key figure in the financial services industry, she oversees innovative solutions for corporate clients, driving growth through cutting-edge payment and risk management strategies. Her expertise helps businesses worldwide thrive in the marketplace.

John Pettigrew is the group CEO of National Grid. John is passionate about evolving the energy system to be more reliable while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He predicts that artificial intelligence and quantum computing will drive even higher demand in the energy industry, which in turn will require greater investment in energy infrastructure.

Aleida Rios is the senior vice president of engineering at BP. In her position, she seeks to modernize the energy industry while advocating for sustainable solutions and workforce diversity. She is part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s diversity leadership group, the Energy Institute Council, and the Texas A&M Department of Chemical Engineering Advisory Board.

Dana Marie Perkins is the head of partnerships and market development at BloombergNEF. She oversees BloombergNEF’s global summits and regional forums, and she is the host of Bloomberg’s Switched ON, a weekly podcast on the future of energy, transport and sustainability.

Ganesh Wadawadigi is the chief product marketing owner of extended warehouse management at SAP. Over nearly 20 years with the company, he has worked in digital logistics, digital supply chain solutions and smart sensing, making him an expert in many of the technology solutions that drive manufacturing success.

John Wilczynski is the executive director of America Makes, which brings together those in the manufacturing industry with educators, government officials and workforce associations to support the development and adoption of innovative technology. He previously worked at General Motors.

Stephen Gold is the president and CEO of Manufacturers Alliance, a national leadership network for the manufacturing industry. In this role, he helps drive leadership and technology modernization efforts within the sector.

Christoph Schell is executive vice president and chief commercial officer for Intel, where he is focused on driving customer support and success. Prior to joining Intel, he was the chief commercial officer at HP. He is a member of the board of directors for Mobileye, a company leading the development of driverless vehicles, and of the supervisory board of KUKA, a leader in intelligent automation solutions.

Amy Neumann is the founder of Resourceful Nonprofit, an organization that helps supply nonprofits with tools and resources so teams can get the most out of technology. In addition to being an advocate for diversity and inclusion, Neumann is also a thought leader on artificial intelligence.

Amy Sample Ward is all about tech for good. They are the CEO of NTEN and the author of The Tech That Comes Next: How Changemakers, Philanthropists and Technologists Can Build an Equitable World. Education is at the heart of technology use in the nonprofit sector, and NTEN is an influential organization dedicated to using tech ethically to promote change.

Kimberly Bryant is the founder of Black Girls Code, a nonprofit organization dedicated to “changing the face of technology” and Black Innovation Lab, which offers capital investment and mentorship programs to entrepreneurs. She is celebrated for her work of introducing young women of color to the fields of technology and computer science. Bryant is also a TEDx speaker and her memoir, Ascending: Black Women and the Power Paradox, will be published in 2026.

Join hosts Marco Arment, Casey Liss and John Siracusa to hear “three nerds” discuss “Apple, programming and loosely related matters,” according to their website.

Hosted by Chamath Palihapitiya, Jason Calacanis, David Sacks and David Friedberg, this show features insider takes on business, technology and society.

Dive into dynamic discussions on gaming, open-source tech, capital markets and pop culture ideal for tech enthusiasts and curious minds alike.

Hosted by Alex Kantrowitz, Big Technology delivers insightful conversations with tech insiders and industry leaders from Amazon, Apple, Meta, Google, Microsoft and more.

Co-hosts Aaron Delp and Brian Gracely follow the latest trends in cloud computing.

Host Nathan Labenz explores artificial intelligence from every angle and discusses its transformative impact on work, life, society and culture.

Tech veterans Tom Merritt and Sarah Lane cover all major events in the industry in one daily wrap-up, including new product releases, leadership updates and more.

Hosted by Jack Rhysider, this podcast takes listeners into the world of cybersecurity, hacking and digital crime, featuring true stories from the dark web including espionage, breaches and exploits.

Hosted by David Spark, Geoff Belknap and Steve Zalewski, this podcast covers critical cybersecurity topics drawing from real-world strategies, experts and industry leaders.

Hosted by former CIA acting director Michael Morell, this podcast offers in-depth conversations with security experts, policymakers and the Intelligence Community about global security concerns.

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Co-hosts Nilay Patel, David Pierce and Alex Cranz analyze the week’s most important technology news, from gadgets to tech policy updates.