The FTSE 100 CEO LinkedIndex 2023, the UK’s first report examining the LinkedIn activity of Britain’s business leaders, reveals which FTSE CEOs are leading the charge on the social media platform.

BP CEO Bernard Looney tops the list of best performing CEOs, which has been calculated using a methodology based on criteria including follower numbers, post engagement and interaction with comments, in addition to originality and variety of content.

Top ten: The FTSE 100 CEO Linkedindex 2023

The top ten performers are:

1. Bernard Looney, BP
2. Ondrej Vlcek, Avast Group
3. Ben Van Beurden, Shell
4. Bill Winters, Standard Chartered
5. Noel Quinn, HSBC
6. Steve Hare, Sage
7. Alan Jope, Unilever
8. Alison Rose, Natwest
9. Emma Walmsley, GSK
10. Peter Herweck, AVEVA

Key findings

• 20% of the top 10 listed CEOs are women, despite being vastly underrepresented (9%) within the FTSE 100
• The majority of FTSE CEOs are not present on any other social media platform beyond LinkedIn
• 23% of FTSE CEOs have no visible LinkedIn profile
• Strategic and commercial performance was the most common topic for top 10 CEOs, while sales-related content accounted for only a tiny minority of LinkedIn posts

The report also paints a picture of the profile of Top 100 UK FTSE business leaders, who are on average:

• Male
• British
• London-based
• 55 years of age
• In post for 5.8 years
• Educated to Masters level

Simon Tierney, managing director of international marketing communications agency Palmer Hargreaves UK, says: “Our research provides an exciting snapshot of how Britain’s business leaders are using LinkedIn to enhance their personal brand and that of their organisation. Against a backdrop of continuous uncertainty and volatility, there is a growing expectation that top figures from the business world should make their voices heard via digital channels, and here we see how some are achieving greater success than others in this regard.

“This report marks the beginning of an annual series that will closely monitor the evolution of LinkedIn as a platform for top executives, and of the composition of the FTSE 100, providing us with a better understanding of the communications and business landscape.”

Methodology

Compiled by Palmer Hargreaves, the FTSE 100 CEO LinkedIndex 2023 is the outcome of detailed analysis of FTSE CEO LinkedIn profiles during the period 1 June 2021 to 1 June 2022. The full version of the report can be accessed here.