The Most Powerful Women in CG
Among top politicians, finance and business leaders, activist billionaires and celebrities who matter, FORBES’ annual list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women also includes entrepreneurs and media mavens, technologists and philanthropists — all ranked by money, media momentum, spheres of influence and impact (see full methodology here). Here, CGT shines a spotlight on the consumer goods executives that made the 2014 list for being “extraordinary icons and leaders, groundbreakers and ceiling crashers who command the world stage”.
No. 13 Indra Nooyi
CEO, PepsiCo
“Nooyi has, once again, exceeded analyst's expectations and dour forecasts: Despite a global decline in the consumption of sugary drinks, the company's shares have increased 3.1% while the S&P 500 Index added less than 1%. How'd she do it? Thinking outside the soda can...”
No. 15 Irene Rosenfeld
CEO, Mondelez International
“As a child, Rosenfeld dreamed of becoming president of the United States. While a political career wasn't in her future, as head of global food company Mondelez, Rosenfeld has become one of the most powerful -- and highest paid -- women in business today...”
No. 31 Ellen Kullman
CEO, EI du Pont de Nemours
“Since taking the lead role at DuPont in 2009, Ellen Kullman — the company's first female CEO — has brought the 212-year-old chemical empire into the future. She's transitioned the company away performance chemicals (think nonstick frying pans and paints) and toward industrial biosciences, agriculture and advanced materials in solar energy and autos, among others…”
No. 68 Diane von Furstenberg
Owner, Fashion Designer, Diane von Furstenberg Studio, L.P.
“The Brussels-born designer celebrated the 40th anniversary of her iconic body-hugging wrap dress this year with a four-month-long Los Angeles exhibition celebrating "the dress that started it all." Von Furstenberg began designing clothes in 1970, but hit her stride with the thigh-skimming silk jersey number, which evolved into a symbol of female liberation and put her on the fashion map…”
No. 75 Miuccia Prada
Owner, Fashion Designer, Prada
“Miuccia Prada will have more say in the day-to-day running of her namesake fashion house this year: in mid-February she announced she'd be stepping down as chairman of Prada to join her husband and business partner Patrizio Bertelli as co-CEO. Milanese billionaire Miuccia (net worth $10.4 billion) is also the lead designer of the luxury goods and clothing company, founded by her grandfather in 1913…”
No. 79 Tory Burch
CEO, Tory Burch
“The queen of bohemian chic added fragrance to her eponymous brand's unstoppable empire this past year, as well as opening a flagship store on Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive. Up next: watches, having signed a licensing deal with Fossil in 2013…”
No. 93 Sara Blakely
Founder, Spanx
“Sara Blakely isn't finished changing the way women wear their clothes. The world's youngest self-made female billionaire will be introducing denim to her growing Spanx product line this fall. The one-time FORBES cover star has also been busy rolling out the "shapewear" brand's first standalone retail stores in upmarket malls along the East Coast…”
Here are also some more noteworthy tidbits about the most powerful women in consumer goods:
Hall of Fame: At this 10th anniversary, eight women who appeared on the inaugural list in 2004 are still here today, including Indra Nooyi.
The rising tide of female entrepreneurs: A remarkable number of women are founders or owners of their own enterprises, not a few of whose eponymous companies are synonymous with high fashion. Consider Miuccia Prada, Tory Burch and Diane von Furstenberg.
Geographic diversity: More than half (58) of the women on the list are American, including immigrants such as von Furstenberg (Belgium).
STEM degrees pay off: On this year’s list, along with the expected M.B.A.s and law degrees, there are a healthy dose of women who earned degrees in science, technology, engineering and math. Five are medical doctors, but of the more unexpected STEM degree-holders is Dupont CEO Ellen Kullman (mechanical engineering).
It pays to play: The team spirit, ability to think on your feet and competitive drive of sports pays off in business. PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi played cricket in her native India. Mondelez CEO Irene Rosenfeld played college basketball at Cornell University.
Same face, new job: Angela Ahrendts changed companies and sectors altogether, shifting from CEO of fashion trendsetter Burberry (No. 53 on the 2013 list) to a brand new position at Apple, SVP of retail and online stores.
To read this article in its entirety, click here.
No. 13 Indra Nooyi
CEO, PepsiCo
“Nooyi has, once again, exceeded analyst's expectations and dour forecasts: Despite a global decline in the consumption of sugary drinks, the company's shares have increased 3.1% while the S&P 500 Index added less than 1%. How'd she do it? Thinking outside the soda can...”
No. 15 Irene Rosenfeld
CEO, Mondelez International
“As a child, Rosenfeld dreamed of becoming president of the United States. While a political career wasn't in her future, as head of global food company Mondelez, Rosenfeld has become one of the most powerful -- and highest paid -- women in business today...”
No. 31 Ellen Kullman
CEO, EI du Pont de Nemours
“Since taking the lead role at DuPont in 2009, Ellen Kullman — the company's first female CEO — has brought the 212-year-old chemical empire into the future. She's transitioned the company away performance chemicals (think nonstick frying pans and paints) and toward industrial biosciences, agriculture and advanced materials in solar energy and autos, among others…”
No. 68 Diane von Furstenberg
Owner, Fashion Designer, Diane von Furstenberg Studio, L.P.
“The Brussels-born designer celebrated the 40th anniversary of her iconic body-hugging wrap dress this year with a four-month-long Los Angeles exhibition celebrating "the dress that started it all." Von Furstenberg began designing clothes in 1970, but hit her stride with the thigh-skimming silk jersey number, which evolved into a symbol of female liberation and put her on the fashion map…”
No. 75 Miuccia Prada
Owner, Fashion Designer, Prada
“Miuccia Prada will have more say in the day-to-day running of her namesake fashion house this year: in mid-February she announced she'd be stepping down as chairman of Prada to join her husband and business partner Patrizio Bertelli as co-CEO. Milanese billionaire Miuccia (net worth $10.4 billion) is also the lead designer of the luxury goods and clothing company, founded by her grandfather in 1913…”
No. 79 Tory Burch
CEO, Tory Burch
“The queen of bohemian chic added fragrance to her eponymous brand's unstoppable empire this past year, as well as opening a flagship store on Beverly Hills' Rodeo Drive. Up next: watches, having signed a licensing deal with Fossil in 2013…”
No. 93 Sara Blakely
Founder, Spanx
“Sara Blakely isn't finished changing the way women wear their clothes. The world's youngest self-made female billionaire will be introducing denim to her growing Spanx product line this fall. The one-time FORBES cover star has also been busy rolling out the "shapewear" brand's first standalone retail stores in upmarket malls along the East Coast…”
Here are also some more noteworthy tidbits about the most powerful women in consumer goods:
Hall of Fame: At this 10th anniversary, eight women who appeared on the inaugural list in 2004 are still here today, including Indra Nooyi.
The rising tide of female entrepreneurs: A remarkable number of women are founders or owners of their own enterprises, not a few of whose eponymous companies are synonymous with high fashion. Consider Miuccia Prada, Tory Burch and Diane von Furstenberg.
Geographic diversity: More than half (58) of the women on the list are American, including immigrants such as von Furstenberg (Belgium).
STEM degrees pay off: On this year’s list, along with the expected M.B.A.s and law degrees, there are a healthy dose of women who earned degrees in science, technology, engineering and math. Five are medical doctors, but of the more unexpected STEM degree-holders is Dupont CEO Ellen Kullman (mechanical engineering).
It pays to play: The team spirit, ability to think on your feet and competitive drive of sports pays off in business. PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi played cricket in her native India. Mondelez CEO Irene Rosenfeld played college basketball at Cornell University.
Same face, new job: Angela Ahrendts changed companies and sectors altogether, shifting from CEO of fashion trendsetter Burberry (No. 53 on the 2013 list) to a brand new position at Apple, SVP of retail and online stores.
To read this article in its entirety, click here.