Women entrepreneurs are making waves in the business world, owning 42 percent of businesses in the United States, according to American Express. While there are still more male-owned businesses, women leaders are catching up, breaking barriers, and leading some of the most successful and influential companies in various industries.
1. Phebe Novakovic, General Dynamics
Novakovic is the chairman and chief executive officer of General Dynamics, a global aerospace and defense company that provides products and services for military, government, and commercial customers. She joined the company in 2001 and became its CEO in 2013. Under her leadership, General Dynamics has achieved record revenues, earnings, and cash flow.
2. Ursula Burns, Xerox and Teneo
Burns was the chairman and CEO of Xerox, a leading provider of document management and workplace optimization solutions, from 2009 to 2016, and chairman from 2010 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to head a Fortune 500 company and led the company through a transformation that included the split of Xerox into two separate companies.
3. Mary Dillon, Foot Locker
Dillon is the president and CEO of Foot Locker, Inc., a global retailer of athletic footwear and apparel. She took over the role in 2022 and has led the company to achieve strong growth, customer loyalty, and digital innovation, and has also championed diversity, inclusion, and social responsibility initiatives.
4. Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson, In-N-Out Burger
Snyder-Ellingson is the CEO and owner of In-N-Out Burger, a popular burger chain founded by her grandparents in 1948. She inherited the company in 2017, when she turned 35, and became one of the youngest American billionaires. Snyder-Ellingson has more than doubled the number of In-N-Out Burger locations.
5. Susan Wojcicki, YouTube and Alphabet
Wojcicki was the CEO of YouTube, the world’s largest video-sharing platform, until February 2023, and currently serves as an advisor to Google and its parent company, Alphabet. She was the 16th-ever Google employee and worked on AdSense, Google Analytics, Google Books, and Google Images. In 2006, she advocated buying YouTube and subsequently went on to run it, growing its revenue by seven times, from $4 billion in 2014 to $29.2 billion in 2022.
6. Jane Hamilton Neilsen, Ralph Lauren
Neilsen is the chief operating officer and chief financial officer of Ralph Lauren Corp., a global fashion and lifestyle brand. She oversees the company’s global finance, business development and real estate organizations, as well as investor relations, procurement, IT and global logistics. She joined Ralph Lauren in 2016, after working as the chief financial officer.
7. Maria Black, ADP
Black is the president and CEO of ADP, the market leader in outsourced human resource functions such as payroll, benefit administration, and tax services. She became the CEO in 2023 and is responsible for leading the company’s operations in more than 140 countries. Black endorses using data-driven insights to drive social good, creating a more equitable and inclusive workplace for ADP’s clients.
These are just some of the inspiring women leaders who are making a difference in the business world. They are not only running successful and influential companies but also setting an example for other women entrepreneurs and leaders to follow, displaying that they can make a positive impact on their industries, communities, and the world.