Adena Friedman

Adena Friedman, CEO of Nasdaq since 2017, is working to expand the U.S. stock exchange's reach. She recently moved to acquire fintech firm Adenza for $10.5 billion, the largest deal in Nasdaq history. The investment will extend Nasdaq’s offerings into regulatory, risk management, and technology solutions. With the IPO market starting to heat up after a monthslong freeze, Nasdaq won the giant IPOs for Instacart and Softbank’s Arm this year. In the last four years, Nasdaq IPOs have reportedly raised more capital than those at the New York Stock Exchange, its larger competitor. On top of her chief executive role, Friedman was promoted to chair of Nasdaq's board in early 2023.