Q1: Top 20 Dynamic European CEOs of 2025

Cemacon has over 300 employees, and their performance as a team determines the company’s performance. Daniel cares about his people and invests time in the strategic alignment and harmonization of the management team. “Only by ensuring that all my colleagues are motivated, empowered, trained, that they are all connected to the company’s vision, that they work well as a team, can we expect to perform as a successful business,” adds Daniel. “And the sustainability of their jobs is given by the very fact that Cemacon achieves its goals. Basically, it’s a system of mutual conditioning, in which everyone must be aware of their responsibility. And the company’s results are subsequently translated into highly competitive individual benefits”.

Danor Ionescu’s journey as the CEO of Pall-Ex Romania is a testament to resilience, and an unrelenting drive to transform the industry. From the moment he stepped into the helm, his mission was clear—redefine palletized freight distribution through efficiency and unwavering service excellence. This was not just a business challenge; it was a reinvention of how Romania’s logistics industry functioned.

According to Fabrizio Majorana, CEO at Six Sigma Management Institute Europe, the importance is in the brand. Six Sigma was established by Mikel Harry, recognized today by the customers, and, most importantly, by the big brands. “Competition only strengthens us; however, our customers are aware of obtaining our original values as well as the most comprehensive recognition when they seek our services,” says Majorana. “Most of all however, we are the true certification of Six Sigma. Our e-learning platform is unique at these levels and it is also the most powerful and extensive.”

Helen Fisher is a business psychologist who specialises in helping organisations become more effective through their people. Described as logical and analytical, an ingenious thinker and long-range planner, and good at anything that requires rapid reasoning, Helen is direct, results-oriented and thorough. She is passionate about researching new subjects that capture her interest.

John Campbell, the Group Chief Executive Officer of BES Group, is a dynamic leader distinguished by his forward-thinking approach and ability to foresee and comprehend the challenges that accompany change. John acknowledges that change is inevitable in growth and progress and is willing to embrace it despite potential difficulties.

Jose Arozarena, the CEO of Amigo Tours, is a determined visionary leader who has transformed the company into a thriving hospitality and tourism business. His journey began at a young age when he started a small computer business and later worked as a DJ to save money for backpacking across Europe. A transformative trip to Australia opened his eyes to the potential of the hostel industry, and he returned to Mexico with the dream of opening his own world-class hostel.

Lance Patterson, CEO of Penhaligon’s Ltd has been leading Penhaligon’s since mid-2014 spearheading the brand’s repositioning while embracing its incredibly rich heritage. Creativity is driven by the Creations team based in Paris, they are genius behind the amazing products, working alongside the Brand team in London, together they are the true creative force behind the brand’s products, storytelling and customer experience. Lance is the leader that encourages each team member to translate the global brand vision into the dream of what the customers want. He leads the company through excellence, attention to detail, and embraces each team member as a unique individual that adds to the collective of the greater team. Lance’s personal mission is to bring out the best in each person which is directly linked to the company’s mission of creating meaningful human connections.

Under Mark Hollingsworth’s aegis as CEO of The Nutrition Society, the Society has witnessed itself getting transformed into a more contemporary strategically-focused organization while maintaining the important historical traditions of being a learned scientific society. Embedded into this has been a focus on developing transparency through a focus on strong ethical leadership. This strategic work of transparency has been a vital opportunity to look to communicate with members and stakeholders to explain not just the impact of the activities of the Society but also the decision-making processes involved. This a complex area of leadership, both at the individual and collective level.

Martin Vogl, Founder and CEO of YOUPLUS, is a strategizing guru because of his ability to outline and develop an idea for a future business model. He does so by onboarding and integrating others, and their creativity with the passion for contributing to this idea until a consistent and holistic strategy and concept is developed. In this planning process, Martin looks beyond daily business and encourages others to be brave and entrepreneurial. The environment he creates is highly inspiring for other teams and the entire organization.

The Westway Trust is a 23-acre estate in trust for the benefit of the community. Venu Dhupa is the leader who has brought a different vision to running this dual enterprise. “Rather than thinking as a property company that deploys its resources for social goods, we are a social goods company that earns it’s income from property,” she explains. “This means we run a smart property company, but face in the direction of social goods. This is key to the organization’s psychology, the staff it will attract and the financial balance it should achieve.”