We’ve said it before, a CEO’s LinkedIn profile is a vital internal and external communication channel that should be harnessed by all finance brands. A tool that can be used to support business and communication objectives, the LinkedIn profiles of the CEO and the broader executive team provide a face to the brand and personified and tangible examples of a finance brand’s purpose and values.
Having identified the elements in the perfect LinkedIn profile and the chief executives in the finance industry getting it right, we now look at the new contenders, naming the top 10 CEO LinkedIn profiles for finance brands for 2020.
Top 10 CEO LinkedIn profiles for finance brands
James Gorman, chairman and CEO, Morgan Stanley
177,329 followers
Gorman authors a lot of content on the initiatives and programs at Morgan Stanley and uses his LinkedIn channel to be the voice of the investment bank. In early 2020, he donated $1million to support firefighters in the Australian bushfire crisis which positions both Gorman and Morgan Stanley as a socially engaged and authentic leader and business.
Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser, Allianz SE
2,324,327 followers
A Financial Times contributing editor and Bloomberg Opinion columnist, as well as a New York Times bestseller, El-Erian clearly appreciates the value of content and sees the value of LinkedIn as the channel to distribute it. With links to a number of educational institutions such as Queens College Cambridge, The Wharton School and the University of Pennsylvania, El-Erian’s posts demonstrate that he stays on top of the leading ideas in the industry through education and advisory roles.
Simon Thorp, CIO, Aperture InvestorsÂ
16,884 followers
Thorp uses his LinkedIn profile to unpick data and performance and share educational videos created for his investor audience. The production of these is simple and shows you don’t need big budgets to have a big impact on LinkedIn. Thorp ensures that all videos are subtitled allowing for easy-viewing which could attribute to the average 5k+ views he gets from his videos.
Thasunda Brown Duckett, CEO, Chase Consumer BankingÂ
24,102 followers
As a woman of colour holding a CEO position at a multinational investment bank, Brown Duckett uses her platform to share her thoughts on diversity and equality. She invites her audience to engage and attend podcasts, livestreams, and webcasts to help educate and stimulate conversations around the racial wealth gap.
Brian Hartzer, former CEO, WestpacÂ
19,421 followers
Hartzer uses his platform to promote the Westpac brand, providing his own commentary on key initiatives such as The Westpac Foundation and Principles for Responsible Banking. Hartzer is active in liking, commenting and sharing content on LinkedIn from other players in the industry which helps humanise his activity and connect him with a wider audience.
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Nick Molnar, co-founder and US CEO, Afterpay
36,272 followers
Molnar’s LinkedIn channel marks milestones for the growth of the fintech business as it takes on more markets in the US and beyond. Molnar uses the channel to share finance results and awards Afterpay has won, promoting the brand to his own connections and investors. Molnar writes colloquially and emotionally which gives his feed a personal tone and positions him as an authentic leader.
Ian McLaughlin, CEO, Bank of IrelandÂ
3,526 followers
McLaughlin posts candidly and personally to his follower base. From photos on packed flights to the more problematic issues of children walking in on meetings whilst working from home, McLaughlin gives his followers a behind-the-scenes look at the less glamorous life of a CEO. Engagement for posts is encouraging with many likes, comments and shares from followers experiencing similar issues.
McLaughlin gives his followers a behind-the-scenes look at the less glamorous life of a CEO.
Priscilla Brown, Group Executive, CommBankÂ
6,217 followers
The content Brown shares, paired with her relaxed tone demonstrate that CommBank has socially engaged and authentic leaders. By liking and commenting on key initiatives and product updates from CommBank, in particular, focusing on the human benefits for customers and employees, Brown supports and promotes the priorities and achievements of the bank with her growing followers.
Mark Haefele, CIO, UBS Global Wealth Management
367,322 followers
Haefele is a true content generator, authoring regular articles on economic trends and investment opportunities for clients. Articles posted on LinkedIn have high engagement and interactions from his 350k+ following which is maintained with Haefele liking, sharing and commenting back to his audience. The chief investment officer is also posting a range of content formats on his channel including podcasts which seems to be resonating with his investment audience, hungry for the latest outlook on trends and markets.
Sir Martin Gilbert, Chairman, Aberdeen Standard InvestmentsÂ
8,709 followers
Sir Martin’s LinkedIn profile highlights his key achievements which include being ranked 22nd out of over 900 in the Harvard Business Review’s list of the world’s top performing CEOs, being named Personality of the Year at the City AM Awards in 2017 and Asset Management CEO of the Year at the Global Investor Awards the following year. These achievements position both Gilbert and Standard Life Aberdeen as a strong leader in the industry.
As with all content, the way you position and utilise the LinkedIn profiles of your executive team should be backed by strategy. For help establishing this strategy, get in touch.
