Abu Sufyan ibn Harb was the leader of the Banu Abd Shams clan of the Quraish. He commanded the trade caravan that sparked the Battle of Badr, though he managed to avoid the battle itself.
After the death of Abu Jahl at Badr, Abu Sufyan became the de facto leader of Mecca. He organized and commanded the Meccan army at the Battle of Uhud (625) and the Battle of the Trench (627).
Realizing the growing power of the Muslims, he negotiated the surrender of Mecca in 630 and converted to Islam. His son, Muawiyah I, later founded the Umayyad Caliphate.