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These Are the 10 Most Powerful Women in Biz in 2018, According to Analysts

Topics: Current Events
powerful women
Ginni Rometty, CEO of IBM, via Fortune Live Media/Flickr

Each year, Fortune names the most powerful women in business based on “the size and importance of the woman’s business in the global economy, the health and direction of the business, the arc of the woman’s career (résumé and runway ahead), and social and cultural influence.”

Una Dabiero via Fairygodboss

Making the list is an incredible honor for women of incredible influence, all of whom are breaking massive barriers for women after them. This year, Fortune‘s list includes “seven newcomers, two returnees, and CEOs controlling just under $1 trillion in market cap.”

Here are Fortune‘s top 10 most powerful women in business and what achievements landed them on the list.

10. Susan Wojcicki, 50, CEO of Youtube

As CEO of YouTube, Wojcicki has cultivated over 1.9 billion monthly users – and the audience is quickly growing. People watch over a billion hours of video a month on the platform, and it continues to be an evolving space for online advertising and cultural influence. Experts estimate YouTube will make around $20 billion dollars this year.

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9. Ruth Porat, 60, SVP and CFO of Alphabet Inc.

Under Porat, Alphabet Inc.’s stock has climbed over 25 percent in the last year. The CFO has attracted major investment with her focus on data center infrastructure and machine-learning tech, meant to bolster Alphabet’s online ad business. Alphabet is worth about $110 billion, and Porat oversees it all. That’s power.

8. Phebe Novakovic, 60, Chairman and CEO of General Dynamics

Novakovic nailed several important contracts in 2018, including a $5 billion deal to build the next generation of nuclear-armed submarines for the Pentagon. But what really landed this CEO on the list was the company’s largest M&A deal ever – they acquired IT services firm CSRA for $9.6 billion.

7. Safra Catz, 56, Co-CEO of Oracle

Fortune credits Catz with turning cloud into Oracle’s money maker. When she’s not helping to manage Oracle’s almost $40 billion in revenue, Catz can be found on the board of Disney, which she joined in February.

6. Sheryl Sandberg, 49, COO of Facebook

Facebook was one of the most controversial figures of 2018. But despite spending lots of time in Congress, Sandberg managed to keep Facebook’s core online ad business booming. In the coming months, she will face the challenge of restoring Facebook’s reputation and avoiding future blunders. But if she does a good job, the company will continue to see massive user and profit growth.

5. Gail Boudreaux, 58, President and CEO of Anthem

In less than a year under Boudreaux, insurer Anthem’s stock is up 45 percent. She has led the acquisitions of America’s 1st Choice, HealthSun, and Aspire Health to bring Anthem’s revenue to about $90 billion. And this isn’t her first walk in the park. Boudreaux was formerly the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the largest division of UnitedHealth Group.

4. Ginni Rometty, 61, Chairman, President, and CEO of IBM

Rometty oversees IBM’s almost $80 billion in revenue, and has shown massive sales jumps each period in 2018. IBM continues to be an American tech icon under her leadership, almost completely owning the mainframe computing business.

3. Abigail Johnson, 56, Chairman and CEO of Fidelity Investments

Under Johnson, Fidelity’s profits are up more than 50 percent while their assets climbed to $6.8 trillion. She has debuted several new products and continued to slash investment fees. That’s good for business.

2. Mary Barra, 52, CEO of General Motors

Barra is the first female CEO in the auto industry, and continues to shine in the position. She scored a $2.25 billion investment to build autonomous cars and hopes to debut GM’s first self-driving cars for ride sharing in 2019.

1. Marillyn Hewson, 64, Chairman, President, and CEO of Lockheed Martin

As the head of the largest government contractor in the country, Henson has won about $1 billion in contracts so far this year. Lockheed’s stock is up 15 percent year over year, boosting their market value to $100 billion. But beyond their massive business success, Fortune notes the company’s massive social importance in a turbulent geopolitical era.

Other standouts:

12. Angela Ahrendts, 58, SVP of Retail and Online Stores at Apple

Ahrendts isn’t only responsible for making Apple Store’s the retail destination we know them as today. She leads around 67,000 people, and her division accounts for around $74.3 billion annual revenue for Apple. She has also helped to expand Apple’s reach to China, where there are now more than 40 stores.

16. Ann-Marie Campbell, EVP of U.S. Stores at Home Depot

Campbell oversees over 2,000 Home Depot Stores, accounting for nearly 90 percent of the company’s $101 billion in revenue. The company’s revenue is up nearly 7 percent in the last 12 months, and she can be credited with a large part of that growth. In the coming months, Campbell is streamlining the retail giant’s online sales.

18. Cathy Engelbert, 53, CEO of Deloitte

Under Engelbert, Deloitte has taken some major risks. But thankfully, their soiree with blockchain, robotics and cloud – headlined by a partnership with Google and SAP – paid off. The company’s revenue has increased by more than 23 percent since Engelbert started in 2015.

19. Marianne Lake, 49, CFO of JP Morgan Chase

As CFO, Lake helps manage JPMorgan’s over $113,899 Million in revenue each year. She has been a huge stand-out at the company, receiving a shoutout in CEO Dimon’s succession-planning. Analysts believe she is on the shortlist to helm the company after his retirement.

26. Mary Callahan Erdoes, 51, CEO of JPM Asset and Wealth Management

Erdoes’s division of JPM acquired over $2.8 trillion in assets just last year, making it profitable enough to qualify for the Fortune 500 if it were a separate company. As you can imagine, Erdoes has a wealth of responsibilities. But, she still found time to begin a new data-driven business featuring wealth management tools. Talk about multitasking.

32. Julie Sweet, 50, CEO North America at Accenture

Under Sweet, Accenture North America’s revenue raised by nearly 4 percent in 2017. On top of that, the stock is up 27 percent over the last year. With this new revenue, Sweet has been investing in her employees: this year, Accenture North America trained 60 percent of its workforce in new IT.

34. Kathleen Murphy, 55, President of Personal Investments at Fidelity Investments

Under Murphy, her division saw a 20 percent increase in client assets, surpassing $2 trillion in worth. In August, her part of Fidelity caught nationwide attention when it announced the industry’s first zero-fee stock-index funds and cut investment minimums. These new features are sure to boost future investment, spelling out a strong end to 2018 for the business.

37. Jennifer Taubert, 55, EVP and Worldwide Chairman of Pharmaceuticals at Johnson & Johnson

Taubert’s part of Johnson & Johnson accounted for nearly 50 percent of the company’s 2017 revenue. Although she was just promoted in June, Taubert was key in J&J’s 2017 acquisition of Actelion, a $30 billion deal.

39. Bridget van Kralingen, 55, SVP of Blockchain, Industry Platforms, Accounts, and Partnerships at IBM

Van Kralingen oversees some of IBM’s largest customer accounts and manages key partnerships. Almost one-third of IBM’s revenue falls under her division and she leads over 10,000 employees.

41. Crystal Hanlon, 53, President of the Northern Division at Home Depot

Hanlon manages 795 Home Depot stores in 24 states, making the company around $30 billion. Home Depot’s stock is up 32 percent in the last year, spelling a bright future for the company despite a general decline in retail sales.

49. Anne Finucane, 66, Vice Chairman; Chairman of BofA Merrill Lynch Intl.

Bank of America’s stock has nearly doubled in the past two years, in large part to Finucane’s success. She leads the bank’s capital deployment group and customer data analytics, two integral parts of the business.

A version of this post previously appeared on Fairygodboss, the largest career community that helps women get the inside scoop on pay, corporate culture, benefits, and work flexibility. Founded in 2015, Fairygodboss offers company ratings, job listings, discussion boards, and career advice.

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