Seagate Executive Chairman Steve Luczo has been named by Harvard Business Review as one of the best-performing CEOs in the world.
The magazine, which has included Luczo in its annual ranking for the past four years, placed him at No. 28 on this year’s global list of the top 100 CEOs.
On Oct. 1, Luczo began a new role as Seagate’s executive chairman, focusing on strategic growth initiatives.
Luczo served as the company’s CEO from 1998 through 2004, leaving the CEO position to focus on his role as chairman of the board. He returned as Seagate’s CEO in January of 2009. During the period after Luczo’s return as CEO in 2009, Seagate’s stock appreciated by 1,600 percent, placing it among the top five performing stocks in the S&P 500.
HBR considers more than just a company’s financial performance in compiling its annual CEO list, however. The magazine also evaluates each company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. Long-term financial results are weighted at 80 percent of a CEO’s score, with ESG performance at 20 percent.
“I’m honored to have been included in the list, but the real heroes are our employees, who continually go above and beyond,” Luczo said. “Success for a company like Seagate means focusing on not only long-term shareholder return, but also broader environmental and social responsibilities, and we can only achieve those goals as a team.”
Seagate was one of just six technology companies that made the top 30 and Luczo is among only 23 CEOs that are appearing in the rankings for the fourth straight year.
In compiling its list, HBR’s research team evaluated each firm’s financial data from a CEO’s first day on the job until April 30, 2017. To measure performance on non-financial metrics, HBR consulted with Sustainalytics, a leading provider of ESG research and analytics. Learn more about the rankings and methodology here.
