Time magazine has picked Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella as one of the world's most influential people as part of its Time 100 list. The annual list honors a variety of global influencers, whether it be in politics, tech, philanthropy, world affairs, or any number of other ways. "TIME's annual list of the world's most influential people is a designation of individuals whose time, in our estimation, is now," Time says in an explanation of how it chose the 2018 list.
For the list, Nadella's profile was written by Walter Isaacson, professor of history at Tulane University, former managing editor of Time, and author of Steve Jobs' 2011 authorized biography. Isaacson cites Nadella's love of cricket, and how he carried over the principles of being a team player to his role at Microsoft:
Since becoming CEO of Microsoft in 2014, Nadella has used those principles to restore the company's spirit of innovation. Consider its new product strategy, which emphasizes cloud computing and allowing people to collaborate across platforms. Nadella also preaches the importance of empathy and making products that work reliably, traits that deepened in him when his first child was born with brain damage and his son's life depended on linked machines running Microsoft systems.
Since Nadella took the reins at Microsoft, the company's market value has increased 130 percent and it's now "making products that feel more user-friendly, empathetic and collaborative," Isaacson says.
Bill Gates' name also appears on the list, albeit in a different way: Gates penned the profile for Roger Federer.
The official Time 100 issue will hit newsstands on Friday.
