NEW YORK--Fast Company today announced its 10th annual list of the Most Creative People in Business, honoring an influential and diverse group of 100 leaders from a vast range of global industries including tech, design, entertainment, health care, media, government, nonprofit, finance, food, and more.
The Most Creative People in Business list recognizes individuals whose work might not necessarily be quantifiable by numbers, but who are nonetheless having a measurable impact on the world. These scientists, executives, programmers, comedians, founders, designers, musicians, writers, and activists have accomplished something new this year within their field that’s driving their industries forward and solving global and societal problems in novel ways.
This year’s group represents Fast Company’s hallmark of diversity: 52 are women, 48 are men, with more than 25 hailing from outside the United States, and nearly one-third are people of color.
“I am honored to be included in such an impressive list of creative individuals, and it's incredibly gratifying to have White Ops recognized for the work we're doing,” said Hassan. “Since my co-founders and I began this fight in 2012, our goal has been to preserve the integrity of the Internet from the malicious bots that spread malware and propagate various forms of cybercrime. And this fight is winnable—the takedown of 3ve proved that. I’m encouraged by the collaborative nature of that effort, and I’m looking forward to expanding our efforts even further across the web."
On November 27, 2018, White Ops unveiled that it had dismantled 3ve, one of the most sophisticated ad fraud operations to date in collaboration with the FBI, Google, and other key partners. 3ve had infected at minimum 1.7 million computers at any given time, counterfeited more than 10,000 websites, and generated between 3 to 12 billion requests per day to sell fake online advertising. Hassan led the 3ve project from start to finish and is credited with being the lynchpin of the global consortium. Twenty of the largest companies in ad tech, security, and internet infrastructure worked with the FBI in the largest private sector collaboration in the bureau’s history. The takedown set a new standard for future collaborative efforts.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York announced criminal charges associated with perpetrators behind 3ve. Charges were also brought against perpetrators behind Methbot, an operation uncovered by White Ops in 2016.
Hassan was appointed to Chief Executive Officer by White Ops’ Board of Directors in April 2019. Hassan, who had served as Chief Technology Officer since co-founding White Ops in 2012, has successfully scaled White Ops technology to support many of the Internet’s largest platforms while aggressively pursuing the most sophisticated and malicious bot threats. Prior to White Ops, Hassan was the founder and CEO of Compel Data Technologies Inc., a software development and consulting company. He also served as a Major in the U.S. Air Force where he was a decorated officer who completed multiple combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Combat Search and Rescue helicopter pilot.
Fast Company editors and writers spend a year researching candidates for the list, scouting every sector of business: technology, fashion, cybersecurity, biotech, entertainment, beauty, social good, food, data, consumer goods, and more. The people selected have all accomplished something truly innovative within the past 12 months or so that is having a meaningful effect within their industries. They’re also discoveries -- none has ever been profiled in Fast Company before. Taken together, they represent where business is heading right now.
“This year’s edition acknowledges society’s increasingly fraught relationship with technology. It is light on people inventing new apps to sell us more stuff—and mine our personal information—and heavier on leaders trying to protect consumers and companies from unscrupulous actors online,” says Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company.
To see the complete list go to: fastcompany.com/most-creative-people/2019
Introduced in 2009, the Most Creative People list was quickly established as one of Fast Company's most esteemed franchises. Each year, the magazine's editors present an all-new list of 100 people chosen according to a proprietary methodology.
Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business issue (Summer 2019) is available online now at fastcompany.com/most-creative-people/2019 and on newsstands beginning June 4. Join the Most Creative People conversation using #FCMostCreative.
ABOUT FAST COMPANY
Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies and thinkers on the future of business. Since 2011, Fast Company has received some of the most prestigious editorial and design accolades, including the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) National Magazine Award for “Magazine of the Year,” Adweek’s Hot List for “Hottest Business Publication,” and six gold medals and 10 silver medals from the Society of Publication Designers. The editor-in-chief is Stephanie Mehta and the publisher is Amanda Smith. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication, Inc., and can be found online at fastcompany.com.
ABOUT WHITE OPS
White Ops is a cybersecurity company that protects the Internet from malicious bot activity. Globally, software-as-a-service from White Ops determines the validity of nearly 100 billion transactions per day on behalf of over 200 customers. Our proactive adaptation, Internet-scale, and multi-layered methodology have made us the platform of choice for some of the largest and most forward-thinking platforms and brands. For more information, visit www.whiteops.com.
