5 Powerful Women in Business Today

Henry Ford. Warren Buffett. Steve Jobs. Mark Zuckerberg. Elon Musk. Powerful businessmen have been, and still are, talked about on a daily basis. But what about the women? More and more women are starting businesses and leading established, well-known global organizations than ever before. We thought it was time you learned about a few of them. Here are five powerful businesswomen who are paving the way for the generations of women who follow:

1.    Marillyn Hewson

Named the 2018 most powerful woman in the world by Fortune magazine, Marillyn Hewson is the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Lockheed Martin. She joined the technology company in 1983 as an industrial engineer, and has since held several leadership positions, including President of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration, Vice President of Global Supply Chain Management, and Senior Vice President of Corporate Shared Services. On June 15, Hewson will step down as CEO and become the executive chair of the board. According to Lockheed Martin, she also “currently serves on the Board of Directors of Johnson & Johnson, the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation, the Board of Governors of the USO, and as Chair of the Catalyst board of Directors.”

2.    Mary Barra

Mary Barra is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of General Motors. Under her leadership, GM is working to create a world with zero crashes, zero emissions, and zero congestion. Barra’s focus is on improving the customer experience as well as GM’s core vehicle and services business, while leading the transformation of personal mobility through technologies such as connectivity, electrification and autonomous driving. She began her career with GM as a General Motors Institute co-op student at the Pontiac Motor Division in 1980. Barra also serves on the Board of Directors of the Detroit Economic Club, the Walt Disney Company, and the Stanford University Board of Trustees.

3.    Kathy Warden

In 2019, Kathy Warden became the the first female president of Northrop Grumman, and also serves as their Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, as well. Her experience includes leadership roles at General Dynamics, the Veridian Corporation, and the General Electric Company. She joined Northrop Grumman in 2008 and held the position of corporate vice president, as well as president of the Mission Systems and Information Systems sectors. Warden also serves as vice chair of the Aerospace Industries Association, on the James Madison University Board of Visitors, on the Board of Directors of Catalyst, and as the chair of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

4.    Ann-Marie Campbell

Home Depot’s Ann-Marie Campbell worked her way up from a cashier to the company’s executive vice president, U.S. Stores. She started at a South Florida store in 1985 and went on to work in a variety of positions, including store manager, district manager, and regional vice president, building a reputation of providing friendly, top-notch customer service along the way. Since her promotion to EVP in 2016, Campbell has led the company as it refreshes locations and increases transactions and sales.

5.    Michelle Gass

After working for Starbucks for 16 years, Michelle Gass joined the Kohl’s team in 2013 as chief customer officer. She has been an integral part of the store’s effort to remain relevant in our increasingly online world and became Chief Executive Officer in May 2018. Gass is responsible for the store’s focus on becoming an active and wellness destination, launching a new loyalty program, and for partnering with industry giants such as Under Armour and Amazon.