In celebration of Women’s History month, we are highlighting the achievements of 35 women who have reached the top ranks of industry in market sectors where science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) play an outsized role.
We’ve elected to group our rankings by industry category, then alphabetically by the name of the company or organization.
Aerospace / Transportation
1. General Dynamics
Phebe N. Novakovic rose to chairman of the board and CEO of aerospace and defense giant General Dynamics in 2013. She earned an MBA at Wharton and worked at the CIA before landing the top role at the Fortune 100 defense contractor.
2. General Motors
Mary T. Barra became the chair and CEO of General Motors in 2014, a time when the auto giant was plagued by numerous safety defects. She has an undergraduate engineering degree from General Motors Institute (now Kettering University) and an MBA from Stanford University. Barra is leading GM’s effort to revamp its product line to transition from ICE powered vehicles to EVs.
3. Northrup Grumman
Since 2019, Kathy J. Warden has served as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of the F500 defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation. The company is developing the B-21 Raider stealth strategic bomber and manufactured the James Webb Space Telescope.
Biotech / Healthcare
4. 23andMe
Anne Wojcicki co-founded the genomics company 23andMe in 2006, which has become a world leader in providing widespread public access to personal genetic information. She earned her degree in biology at Yale and conducted molecular biology research at the NIH and UC San Diego.
5. Anthem
Gail K. Boudreaux is President & CEO of Anthem, Inc., a healthcare management company that provides coverage for over 40 million members and is the second-largest company with a woman serving as CEO. Boudreaux was a star basketball player at Dartmouth and a graduate of Columbia University business school.
6. CVS Health Corporation
Karen S. Lynch serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of CVS Health, where she is expanding the traditional role of the company as a retail pharmacy giant into the wider field of health insurance products and services. Lynch graduated from Boston College and The Questrom School of Business at Boston University.
7. Rite Aid
Heywood Donigan assumed the role of Rite Aid’s president and chief executive officer in 2019. Prior to joining the pharmacy giant Rite Aid, she was president and CEO of Sapphire Digital, a digital healthcare platform whose revenue has grown to over $1 billion. Donigan majored in English at UVA and earned her master’s in public administration from NYU.
8. Ventas, Inc.
Since 1999, Debra A. Cafaro has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ventas, an S&P 500 real estate investment trust (REIT) that manages a large portfolio of approximately 1,200 healthcare real estate properties. Cafaro studied government economics at Notre Dame and received her JD from the University of Chicago Law School.
9. Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Reshma Kewalramani, M.D., FASN, is the Chief Executive Officer and President at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, a leading biotech company that specializes in a rational drug design approach to develop new genetic and combination-based therapeutics. She earned her MD from Boston University and received a management degree from Harvard Business School.
10. Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.
Rosalind Brewer became the Chief Executive Officer of the Anglo-Swiss-American Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. in 2021. In 2020, the company’s pharmaceutical retail, manufacturing, and distribution operations earned revenues of nearly $139 billion. A graduate of Spelman College, Brewer previously served in executive leadership at Starbucks, as well as President and CEO of Sam’s Club.
Commerce and Logistics
11. Best Buy Co., Inc.
Corie Barry became CEO of Best Buy Co. Inc in 2019. The company is a multinational consumer electronics retailer giant with over 100,000 employees and revenues of just over $47 billion in 2021. Barry earned her accounting and management degrees from the College of St. Benedict, located in Saint Joseph, Minnesota.
12. Gap, Inc.
In 2020, Sonia Syngal became the Chief Executive Officer of Gap Inc., whose clothing brands include Athleta, Banana Republic, Gap, and Old Navy, which has nearly 120,000 employees worldwide. A native of India, Syngal earned her degree in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University and a Master’s in Manufacturing Systems Engineer from Stanford University.
13. The Hershey Company
Michele Buck became the Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer at the confection giant the Hershey Company in 2017. The company is controlled by the Hershey Trust Company and had revenues of nearly $8 billion in 2019. Buck has a degree from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from UNC Chapel Hill.
14. Ross Stores, Inc.
Barbara Rentler is Vice Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Ross Stores, Inc., perhaps best known for their Ross Dress for Less retail outlet. The company has over 1,500 locations, and revenues in Q1 of 2022 topped $5 billion. Rentler was named one of America’s Most Innovative Leaders in 2019 by Forbes Magazine.
15. Tapestry
Joanne Crevoiserat is the Chief Executive Officer of Tapestry, Inc., the parent company of leading high-end fashion brands, including Coach, Kate Spade New York, and Stuart Weitzman. Crevoiserat originally joined Tapestry as CFO in 2019, and she earned her finance degree from the University of Connecticut.
16. United Parcel Services, Inc. (UPS)
Carol B. Tomé is the Chief Executive Officer of the shipping and logistics giant UPS, having originally joined the company as VP and Treasurer in 1995. The company has revenues of just over $97 billion in 2021, making it one of the largest package courier and logistics solutions providers in the world. Tomé received her communications degree from the University of Wyoming and a master’s in finance from the University of Denver.
Energy and Chemicals
17. Celanese
Lori J. Ryerkerk is Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of Celanese Corporation, a leading chemical supplier of acetic acid, cellulose acetate, plastic polymers, and ethanol fuel production technologies. Ryerkerk is a chemical engineering graduate of Iowa State.
18. The Clorox Company
Linda Rendle was appointed chief executive officer of The Clorox Company in 2020. The company is best known for its liquid bleach products and, more recently, its expanded line of consumer packaged goods. Revenues in 2020 exceeded $6.7 billion. Rendle earned a degree in economics from Harvard University.
19. Duke Energy
Since 2013, Lynn J. Good has served as chair, president, and chief executive officer of Duke Energy, a leading electric power and natural gas holding company with a broad portfolio of nuclear, hydroelectric, coal, biomass, oil and gas, and renewable power plants. Good earned degrees in systems analysis and accounting from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.
20. Graybar
Kathleen “Kathy” Mazzarella became Chief Executive Officer and President of Graybar on June 1, 2012. The company is a major supplier of high-quality components, equipment, and materials to the construction, industrial, and utilities market, and it also offers supply chain management solutions. Mazzarella has a degree in Applied Behavioral Sciences and an MBA from Webster University in Missouri.
21. Occidental Petroleum (OXY)
Vicki Hollub is President and Chief Executive Officer of Occidental Petroleum (OXY); a leading oil, natural gas, and chemical company based in Houston. The company’s revenues in 2021 exceeded $26 billion. In 2019 it acquired Anadarko Petroleum for $57 billion. Hollub has a degree in Mineral Engineering from the University of Alabama.
22. PG&E
Patricia K. Poppe is Chief Executive Officer of PG&E Corporation, the Fortune 500 utility that powers much of California. Poppe previously served as CEO of CMS Energy, making her one of the few women to lead two different Fortune 500 companies. Poppe has a master’s in industrial engineering from Perdue University and an MBA from Stanford.
Finance
23. Citigroup, Inc. (Citi)
Jane Fraser became Chief Executive Officer of Citigroup, Inc. (Citi) in 2021, making her the first female CEO at the Manhattan-based financial services giant. The company has a worldwide presence, including its subsidiaries Grupo Financiero Banamex (Mexico’s second-largest bank) and Salomon Brothers. In 2021, Citi’s revenue was north of $71 billion. Fraser holds a degree in economics from Cambridge University and an MBA from Harvard.
24. Franklin Resources, Inc. (Franklin Templeton Investments)
In 2020 Jennifer M. Johnson became President and Chief Executive Officer of Franklin Resources, Inc., which is best known as Franklin Templeton Investments. Upon the acquisition of Legg Mason, the combined organization now manages around $1.5 trillion in assets globally. Johnson holds an economics degree from UC Davis.
25. Edward Jones Investments
Penny Pennington rose to the role of CEO and Managing Partner of the brokerage firm Edward Jones Investments in 2019. The employee-owned company has more than $1 trillion under management and 18,000 financial advisers. Pennington has a degree in commerce from UVA and an MBA from Northwestern.
26. Nasdaq, Inc.
In 2017 Adena T. Friedman became President and Chief Executive Officer of Nasdaq, the global stock exchange company known as the home for tech company IPOs. Nasdaq also owns the news publishing giant Thomson Reuters. The company reported revenues over $5.6 billion in 2020. Friedman has a political science degree from Williams College and an MBA from Vanderbilt.
27. The Progressive Corporation
Tricia Griffith was elected President and Chief Executive Officer of Progressive in 2016. Progressive is the number one commercial auto insurer in the USA and number three insurance carrier overall. Revenues in 2020 exceeded $42.5 billion. Griffith has a degree from Illinois State University and is a graduate of Wharton School of Business.
28. Reinsurance Group of America Inc. (RGA)
Anna Manning is President and Chief Executive Officer of Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), a leading provider of reinsurance and underwriting services for health, life, and living insurance benefits. In 2021 the Chesterfield, Missouri-based company reported revenues of over $16.5 billion and circa $3.5 trillion of reinsurance policies in force. Manner holds a degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Toronto.
29. Thrivent Financial
Teresa (Terry) Rasmussen is President and Chief Executive Officer of Thrivent Financial, a diversified financial services organization. The company has $162 billion of assets under management and reports total revenue of $8.5 billion. Rasmussen has an accounting degree from Minnesota State University and a JD from University of North Dakota.
Technology
30. Accenture
Julie Sweet is chair and chief executive officer of Accenture, the international professional services company that specializes in IT consulting and services. Accenture reported revenues greater than $50 billion in 2021 and Fortune magazine named it the world’s most admired IT services company. Sweet has a BA degree from Claremont McKenna College and a JD from Columbia Law School.
31. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD)
Dr. Lisa T. Su is chair and chief executive officer of Advanced Microdevices, Inc. (AMD), having risen to the CEO position in 2014. The company is a world leader in developing computer processors, motherboard chipsets, embedded processors, and graphic processors. The company reported revenues of over $16 billion in 2021. Dr. Su has bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
32. Arista Networks, Inc.
Jayshree V. Ullal was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of Arista Networks in 2008. The company specializes in network switches used in data centers, cloud computing, and high-frequency trading environment. Artist Networks went public in 2014 and reports revenues of nearly $3 billion in 2021. Ullal has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from San Francisco State University and a master’s degree in Engineering Management from Santa Clara University.
33. CDW Corporation
Christine A. Leahy is president and chief executive officer of CDW, a leading provider of technology products and services for business, government, and education markets. This Fortune 500 company reported revenues over $18 billion in 2020. Leahy holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a JD from Boston College Law School.
34. Match Group
Sharmistha “Shar” Dubey is the Chief Executive Officer of Match Group, the parent company of social dating platforms Tinder, Match.com, OKCupid, Hinge, and others. Dubey joined the company in 2006 and has led the company’s efforts to acquire a large portfolio of social dating platforms. The company reported revenues of over $2 billion in 2020. Dubey received a BS degree in Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology and a Master’s in Engineering from OSU.
35. Oracle Corporation
Safra A. Catz has served as chief executive officer of Oracle Corporation since 2014. Oracle is a world leader in database and enterprise computing systems and reported revenues of over $40 billion in 2021. Catz holds a bachelor’s degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Formaspace Congratulates the Achievement of Women in Industry
Formaspace values the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
We’d like to introduce you to women in leadership positions at Formaspace, including Claire Redsun, Formaspace VP of Contract Sales; Irina Isac, Formaspace HR manager; Karen Januski, Formaspace Business Development Manager; and Debora Zak, Formaspace National Sales Manager.
To learn more about our company and values, speak to a Formaspace Design Consultant today.
