2025 MATRIX HONOREE
LESLIE BERLAND
EVP, Chief Marketing Officer, Verizon
Leslie Berland is the Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Verizon, overseeing all aspects of Verizon’s global brand and marketing strategy, including brand identity, marketing activation and creative, marketing effectiveness, consumer insights, media and strategic partnerships. Leslie has over two decades of strategic and creative marketing expertise, transforming world-class brands such as Peloton, Twitter and American Express.
Most recently, Leslie served as Chief Marketing Officer at Peloton, where she led global marketing and communications and launched a new brand identity to grow and galvanize its member community and prospects.
Previously, she was Chief Marketing Officer at Twitter, where she defined and deepened the company’s influence on a global scale. For most of her tenure at Twitter, Leslie served in a dual role as the company’s Chief People Officer, driving culture and strategic synergies across brand, experiences, and development – inside the company and out.
Prior to Twitter, she was EVP of global advertising, marketing, and digital partnerships at American Express, where she played a critical role in the company’s digital transformation.
Corporate and charitable leadership
Leslie’s leadership and contributions have earned her industry accolades and recognition. She was recognized in 2022 by Forbes as part of its CMO Hall of Fame and previously included in its annual Most Influential CMO ranking. Additionally, she has been honored by Ad Age, Adweek, Fast Company, Business Insider and others for her impact as a brand builder and visionary. Leslie is on the Board of Directors for the ANA and the AdCouncil, and sits on the Advisory Board for Virtuosi LEAP.
Personal and educational background
Leslie earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University’s College of Communication. She lives in Manhattan with her two sons.
Presenting the Matrix Award to Leslie Berland
HANS VESTBERG
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Verizon
As CEO since 2018 and Chairman since 2019, Hans is the architect of Verizon’s 5G network strategy, which powers and empowers how Verizon customers live, work and play. Under Hans’ leadership, Verizon was first in the world to 5G and 5G Mobile Edge Compute and has since expanded its 5G network nationally for mobility and home internet and business services, and worldwide with 5G private network solutions for enterprises, governments and other organizations.
With an eye towards serving customers, shareholders, employees and society, Hans’ strategic vision is to create the connections that matter most to our customers, from mobility and cloud services to the latest artificial intelligence applications. Hans has 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. For customers, he has worked to deliver personalized services, choice and value through offerings like myPlan, the most customizable mobility plans in the U.S.
Prior to joining Verizon, Hans led the successful transformation of Ericsson from a hardware-focused manufacturer to a software and services company. Over 25 years at Ericsson, Hans ran operations around the world, including leadership roles in Sweden, China, Brazil, Mexico and the U.S. before becoming CFO in 2007 and CEO in 2009, a position he held for 7 years.
Corporate and charitable leadership
Hans is a board member of BlackRock, and is Co-Chair of the New Jersey CEO Council, a coalition of leaders from the state’s largest companies. He is the 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, Hans is founder of the Jan Vestberg Handball Academy, named after his father, who was his handball coach for most of his sports career. Hans is also past chairman of the Swedish Olympic Committee.
Personal and educational background
Born in Hudiksvall, Sweden, Hans 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.