Antonio Neri wakes up naturally at 5:45 a.m. every day without needing an alarm clock. The Argentine-born CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) shared during a recent visit to the Leadership Institute that this habit stems from his youth: he used to take a bus 25 miles each morning to a military base for junior high and high school. That campus environment deeply shaped his character. Now, he relies heavily on a consistent routine, admitting, "One thing's for sure: I absolutely hate rushing in the morning." Neri has a TV installed in his bathroom, where he watches the news while shaving.
His home is just a seven-minute drive from the company's Houston office, allowing him to arrive before 7 a.m. "When I'm not traveling, I'm in the office every single day," the CEO explains. He wants all employees to feel they can easily reach him, and he particularly values the casual conversations he has while walking from the parking lot to his desk. There's another reason, too: he is an engineer by training who also creates artwork in his spare time and even contributed to the building's interior design. "If I could live my life over, I would choose to be an architect," he says.
His breakfast is always the same: three egg whites with spinach, prepared by the company cafeteria chef, who knows his preferred protein-to-vegetable ratio. Then, a series of meetings begins, except on Mondays, as everyone is still adjusting to the return from the weekend. Speaking of his executive team, he says, "I always delegate fully. Each executive runs a massive business segment with their own pace." Despite this, the team gathers for a 2.5-hour meeting one afternoon each week to review current performance and plan long-term strategy. Neri also schedules one-on-one sessions. "On top of that, we have separate meetings with the direct reports of those executives, focused on the operational performance of each business," he adds.
For lunch, Neri keeps it simple: a chicken or salmon salad, a green apple, and water. He takes 30 minutes to slow down his morning pace and catch up on news. "After 12:30 p.m., I either take a walk around the campus or continue with meetings, which usually run until 5 or 6 p.m.," he says. He often walks to the R&D building, the campus data center, or various labs, and frequently takes visitors to tour these areas. Neri states that one of his management principles is to never disturb employees in the evening. The night is also his time for home workouts.
Six nights a week, he spends 90 minutes doing cardio on an elliptical machine. "I don't like spinning bikes; they're not good for the glutes," he says. After cardio, he uses a multi-functional fitness device similar to a Pilates reformer to work on his core. He finishes with a cold shower to relax, eats a dinner focused on high protein and vegetables, and goes to bed promptly at 10 p.m. He reveals that he had a full physical last year: "All indicators were normal, but I felt I needed to lose some extra weight, so I switched to a light, low-fat diet."
Artificial intelligence is reshaping HPE's overall business. When asked if AI has changed Neri's daily management style, he describes it as a tool for improving efficiency, allowing for "faster information retrieval and problem identification." He and his executives rely on AI to track business dynamics in real-time. However, AI has not changed who he is. His personal life, leadership style, and approach remain the same. "I always believe in the value of independent thinking, logical deduction, and contextual judgment. These are irreplaceable," he concludes.