2025 Awardee Profiles

Hans Vestberg became CEO of Verizon in 2018 and Chairman in 2019. He is the architect of Verizon’s 5G network strategy, which powers and empowers how Verizon customers live, work, and play. Under Mr. Vestberg’s leadership, Verizon was first in the world to offer 5G and 5G Mobile Edge Compute.

Mr. Vestberg’s strategic vision has been to create the connections that matter most to Verizon customers, from mobility and cloud services to the latest artificial intelligence applications. He executed transformational investments that have set Verizon up for generational success, including the $53-billion purchase of C-Band spectrum, the largest such purchase in history.

Prior to joining Verizon, Mr. Vestberg led the successful transformation of Ericsson from a hardware-focused manufacturer to a software and services company.

Mr. Vestberg is a board member of BlackRock and Co-Chair of the New Jersey CEO Council. He is co-founder of the World Economic Forum’s EDISON Alliance for digital inclusion and a member of the ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development.

A former athlete and semi-professional Team Handball player in Sweden, Mr. Vestberg is founder of the Jan Vestberg Handball Academy, named after his father, who was his handball coach for most of his sports career. Mr. Vestberg also is past chairman of the Swedish Olympic Committee.

Born in Hudiksvall, Sweden, Mr. Vestberg earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Uppsala in Sweden. He is married with two children and is fluent in Swedish, English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Gary Shapiro is an acclaimed author, speaker, and CEO & Vice Chair of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)®, which represents more than 1,200 consumer technology companies and owns and produces CES® – The Global Stage for Innovation.

In his more than 30 years as head of CTA, Mr. Shapiro expanded the association’s influence and impact as the technology industry grew. He has also transformed CES, expanding its reach globally to attract exhibitors from more than 50 countries, regions, and territories and attendees from some 150.

Mr. Shapiro has earned annual recognition as one of The Hill’s top lobbyists; Washingtonian’s Tech Titans; and Washington Life magazine’s most influential people in Washington. In 2021, he was recognized with the prestigious Legion of Honor Award, conferred by French President Emmanuel Macron.

A New York Times bestselling author, Mr. Shapiro has written four books on innovation and change including his latest, Pivot or Die: How Leaders Thrive When Everything Changes (HarperCollins, 2024). He has written more than 1,200 opinion pieces for publications such as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post. He has also testified before Congress more than 20 times.

Mr. Shapiro sits on numerous boards and advisory councils including the Northern Virginia Technology Council, CEO Update Roundtable, Council of Manufacturing Associations board, and Focused Ultrasound Foundation board.

Mr. Shapiro worked on Capitol Hill and served as a law firm associate before joining CTA in 1982. He holds a law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center and a Bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University.