Gone are the days when only men called shorts in the business world. Women are increasingly taking over and assuming high-level leadership roles in some of the biggest companies in the world. While we are yet to reach a stage of parity between men and women when it comes to leadership roles, it does seem to get closer by the day.
Below are the ten powerful women sending shockwaves in the business world
Indra Nooyi
Indra Nooyi has been the driving force behind PepsiCo’s evolution to one of the biggest beverage companies in the world. She took over as the CEO in 2006. Under her leadership, the company has grown through acquisitions and expansion. She has also driven the company into a healthier approach targeting snacks and drinks. Forbes ranked her as the second most powerful woman in the world in 2015.
Virginia Rometty
Virginia Rometty has risen the ranks to become a powerful figure in a field mostly dominated by men. She became IBM’s first-ever CEO and president in 2011 after fuelling IBM’s early growth in the 2000s. She was the driving force behind Pricewaterhousecoppers integration, having also helped plan the company’s five-year plan in 2007. She is currently spearheading the company’s grasp of the latest trends and technologies.
Marilyn Hewson
Marilyn Hewson has steered Lockheed Martin to become a juggernaut as a defense company focusing on security aerospace and technology. Since taking over as the CEO in 2013, she has steered a number of programs, including the F-35 fighter jet program to address modern military needs. Likewise, the company’s sales have grown to record levels.
Marry Barra
After joining General Motors as a teenager in 1980, Marry Barra has risen the ranks to become the first female CEO of a major automaker. Her time at the top has seen GM affirm its position in the industry has also made strides on electric cars as well as self-driving cars and ride-sharing service
Abigail Johnson
Abigail Johnson continues to make a mark in the financial sector as the CEO of Fidelity Investments. She took over the reins from here father in 2014. Under her tenure, the firm has continued to post impressive numbers thanks to an increase in client money.
Gail Boudreaux
Gail Boudreaux is spearheading the race to modernize and personalize the healthcare sector as the CEO of Anthem. She was named the company’s CEO in 2017, having previously worked at UnitedHealthcare. Under her leadership Anthem is on course to launch its first Pharmacy Benefits manager the stock having increased by 20% since 2017
Sheryl Sandberg
Sheryl Sander is Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer tasked with the responsibility of defending the networking giant from critics. Even though she is not the Chief Executive Officer, her role at the company is critical at a time when Facebook faces a number of challenges, mostly emanating from regulatory pressures.
Phebe Novakovic
Phebe Novakovic is among the very few powerful women in the defense sector as the CEO of General Dynamics. A former CIA operative, Novakovic has been the driving force behind General Dynamic robust growth that has seen it post impressive numbers in recent years. Impressive numbers stem from the acquisition of CSRA and an increase of business in the servicing of aging planes.
Safra Catz
Safra Catz is the face behind Oracle’s rapid growth in recent years. She is accredited for spearheading the company’s aggressive acquisition strategy that has seen it complete more than 100 acquisition and become a heavyweight in cloud computing and platform services
Julie Sweet
Julie Sweet is the Chief executive officer of multinational professional services company Accenture and ranked as one of the most powerful women in corporate America. In her role, she oversees a company able to generate more than $40 billion backed by a workforce of more than 500,000 employees.
