Women in Business, Jobs, Women Entrepreneurs, Women in the News: News On Women

September09 Jobs go to Media and Marketing Executives

The September09 jobs for women executives reported on NewsonWomen were concentrated in media, marketing and retailing. Companies appointing women to top jobs in September included ABC, Walgreens, Warner Bros Entertainment, Starbucks, Direct Brands, BAE Systems, Ogilvy, VF Corporation, Genworth Mortgage, W. R. Berkeley, Sealy, Family Dollar Stores, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, JPMorgan Chase, and Agilent Technologies. The biggest media appointment for me was Diane Sawyer (pictured) getting the Anchor job for "World News" at ABC.

Women were nominated by President Obama for over twenty important positions in the government in September, and a new study came out during the month concluding that women were more effective in Congress than their male counterparts. Top that off with the CEO of WWE, Linda McMahon, leaving her job to run for the Senate from Connecticut, and I would say all in all it was a busy month despite the state of the job market!

August 09 Makes History for Women

Top women getting jobs in August continued the recovery trend begun in July 09 after a very slow June. Major companies appointing women to top jobs in August included Verizon, MGM, Prudential, Bank of America, GE, New York Life, Bristow Group, Rodale, HP, Qwest Communications, Dunkin Brands, Family Dollar Stores, and Aetna. Government appointments were highlighted this past month by the history making Senate confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor as the third female and the first Hispanic U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Lots of good advice was given to women by other women in our How to Succeed August segments. Advice included surrounding yourself with others who can help, delegating when you can, listening to your customers, and using these tough times as an oportunity to focus on priorities.

After reviewing all the August appointments, I think my favorite "job get" in August was Linda Dillman (pictured) becoming Senior Vice President of Global Information Technology at HP (although Minyanville gets my vote for favorite company name!). Scroll down NewsonWomen.com to look over the August appointments, and vote for your favorite by sending me a comment.

Top Women Given More Big Jobs in July 2009

July09 showed a pick-up from the June09 level in the number of big companies giving big jobs to women. Major companies giving women major new career moves in July included Travelers, CA Inc., Readers Digest Association, Duke Energy, W.R.Grace, Staples, Gannett, ION Media Networks, NBC Universal Women's Entertainment, Neiman Marcus, Sterling Bank, J.C.Penney, Hasbro/Discovery, Cigna, Infospace, Verizon, The American Red Cross, and the Aetna Foundation. Most jobs were in general management, but there were several women appointed as Chief Marketing Officers in July. Women in Government picked up a few major appointments including Regina Benjamin (pictured) being appointed Surgeon General. Other discussions taking place on Newsonwomen included corporate responsibility, work/life management, the profit potential of women playwrights, and the best business approach for women's professional sports.

Jobs Slowdown Continues in June09

June09 continued the job slowdown seen in May09 with fewer big jobs given to women reported on NewsonWomen.com as compared to June08. Major companies appointing women to big jobs in June09 included Yahoo!, Reader's Digest, Pepsico, Coca Cola, Duke Energy, GE, and Hearst Interactive Media, far fewer than the 23 major companies highlighted in the June 08 monthly summary. The jobs and the women themselves, however, continue to impress, like Jenny Baldwin (pictured), made SVP Global Marketing and Brand Management at Yahoo, and Lynn Good made CFO at Duke Energy. In the education field, Martha Minow being made Dean of Harvard Law School is also impressive. Government appointments seemed to slow as well from the previous month of May, but there were several important nominations including Peggy E. Gustafson as Inspector General, Small Business Administration.

Small business seems to be the key to growth in this economy as seen in several June articles in the NewsonWomen.com "breaking news" section. This is good for women who are actively starting their own businesses.

July got off to a wonderful start with the presentation of a Congressional Medal of Honor to the Women Pilots who served in World War II, a recognition of their contribution to the war effort that is long overdue. Let's hope the rest of July brings more good news.

Quality over Quantity in May 2009

May 09 will be remembered for individual achievement rather than for volume of jobs. While the summer slowdown may have started early with fewer than normal women being given big jobs in May, well below the fifty jobs reported in the NewsonWomen May08 summary, the importance of the jobs is undeniable. Most important in my mind is the appointment of Ursula Burns as Chief Executive Officer of Xerox Corporation. Other major companies appointing women to big jobs in May include AT&T, Bloomberg, Dean Foods, Gap Inc, iPay Technologies, Campbell Soup, ING Advisors Network, Cigna Corp, Citisearch/IAC, Hasbro and Brunswick Corp.

On the government side, the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court is historic. In addition, NewsonWomen reported 27 women nominated or appointed to important jobs in government in May. These nominations are in a variety of departments including Health & Human Services, Department of State, Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of Education, Treasury, Interior, and NASA.

April 09 Brings more than Showers to Women in Business

April brought more than showers for women in business. Along with Pulitzer prizes and an anonymous Donor giving money to several colleges with women as Presidents, women were made CEO's (Ilene Gordon made CEO of Corn Products International pictured), SVP's, CFO's and General Counsels at a number of big companies. Some major companies putting women in big jobs in April included Honeywell, Chicos, Citi, Eli Lilly, Ameren, Wall Mart's Sams Club, Marriott International, Talbots, Chiquita Brands International, Gannett Co, Conoco Phillips, Westinghouse, Stop & Shop, Asbury Automotive and PSEG. NewsonWomen reported close to fifty women in business getting important executive jobs in April. 

NewsonWomen reported 24 women in government nominated by Obama for new positions in April. Obama's nominations covered areas from justice to housing to labor to agriculture to defense, and I am beginning to understand the real meaning of the phrase "big government". Almost every job had a different name and they were almost all in different departments. It is clear to me now that there is not only opportunity but lots of room for women in government.

March Madness for Women and Jobs

Even though the unemployment rate is rising, March showed an improvement in the number of women moving up the corporate ladder. The media and entertainment industry continues to rethink how and what to deliver to customers online, and media companies giving women big jobs in March included Friendster, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Sun Times Media, Hearst Entertainment, Gannett, AOL, Comcast, My Space Music, and Hachette Filipacchi. Other major companies putting women in big jobs in March included Cincinnati Bell, Cracker Barrell, Spartech, Agilysys Inc, Kansas City Southern, JPMorgan Chase, Nationwide Funds, GE, Virgin America, Public Service Enterprise Group, Korn/Ferry, Unisys, Interactive Data, and Levi Strauss.

There were some particularly interesting appointments outside the business world, including Dean of University of Miami School of Law, and Harvard University appointing Cherry Murray (pictured left) Dean of Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. It's great to see women in these jobs.

CEO appointments ranged from computerized game development to a bank to heading the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.

President Obama put women in some key government positions in March including Heads of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration, as well as Solicitor General of the U.S. Click on the NewsonWomen.com women and government section to see additional government appointments.

More Women Needed at the Top to Balance February Numbers

Fewer top jobs for women were reported during February on NewsonWomen.com, thanks to the economic slowdown. Oddly enough media and entertainment was holding up, with important jobs going to women at Ion Media, Epic Records, Warner Brothers Interactive, WWE, and Universal Studios Hollywood. Other major companies giving women top jobs this month included Yahoo, Morningstar, Staples, Western Union, KKR, Chico's, Reader's Digest, Rockefeller & Co, and Mastercard.

I was hoping we would increase the monthly numbers with my new "Women in Government" category because of the complete changing of the guard that takes place with a new administration. I could have missed a few, but most of the press releases I saw in February appointed or nominated more men, other than the White House Staff positions. White House Staff of course are important positions as well, but are not all new territory for women. I will catch you up on the women nominated or appointed I found for February:

Kathleen A. Merrigan (pictured), nominated for Deputy Secretary of the Department of Agriculture - Kathleen is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Agriculture, Food and Environment MS and PhD Program at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, Boston MA (White House press release 2/23);  April Boyd, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Commerce - April had been Chief of Staff to Rep. Ellen Tauscher from California (White House press release 2/23);  Jodi Archambault Gillette, appointed Deputy Associate Director of the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (WH press release). Jodi served as the North Dakota First American Vote Director for the Obama Campaign for Change. L. Tammy Duckworth, Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs (WH press release). 

White House Staff - Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean, White House Research Director; Daniella Gibbs Leger, Director of Message Events; Christina Reynolds, Director of Media Affairs; Dana E. Singiser, White House Office of Legislative Affairs, Amy Brundage, Regional Communications Director; Cammie Croft, Deputy New Media Director; Katherine Lyons, Deputy Director of Message Events; Moira Mack Muntz, Regional Communications Director; Katie Stanton, Director of Citizen Participation; Joelle Terry, Deputy Director of Message Events; Gannet Tseggai, Regional Communications Director; and Samantha Tubman, Assistant Social Secretary - see their bios in the WH press release.

It's great there is transparency and we are able to see so much information about who is getting what jobs. Now we need to analyze it. Nominations and appointments may look balanced by equal number of men and women appointed, but we need to make sure there is balance in level of leadership and responsibility. While the President's new Council on Women and Girls announced in March is a great idea for the future, I think that we need to get more women in the jobs being filled today.

Scroll down and read through Newsonwomen.com and you will be reminded of how many capable women there are to help lead our government and our economy in a new direction. Please send me any appointments I might have missed!

A Slow January for Women in Business

January 2009 was a slow start to a new year for women in business. The number of women put in big corporate jobs reported on NewsonWomen was lower than in the past, but there were a few stand out appointments, Carol Bartz taking over as CEO for Yahoo! being one of them. Christina Norman landing the CEO job at Oprah Winfrey Network was another. Other companies appointing women to important positions in January included JCPenney, Ford, Ogilvy, Juniper Networks, Jamba, TMP Worldwide, Zale, AIG, Travelocity, PPG, Firemen's Fund Insurance, GE, Washington Post, Campbell Soup and Omnicom.

Government appointments were front and center on NewsonWomen.com as President Obama filled out his new administration. I created a new category, Women in Government, just for them so we can follow it closely (send me any news you hear). Some women were disappointed that more appointments didn't go to women. The Obama administration seems to be saying wait and see. Obama did sign the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in January, extending the filing deadlines for pay descrimination. Hopefully this is an indication that the new administration will create more opportunities for the many qualified women who deserve more pay and better jobs.

Read about other women in business.

Top Women in the News for December 2008

While there were some major appointments, I found far fewer women appointed to big jobs in December, 08 than in previous months, due in part to the economic downturn. Companies who did put women in important positions this month included Calpers, General Motors, AON, BJ's Wholesale Club, Chevron and the Oprah Winfrey Network. This month's news was more about politics than business, with Obama appointing a number of women to big jobs including Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor, Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State, Karen Mills, Administrator of the Small Business Administration, and Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security. Mary Schapiro (pictured), named Chairwoman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, was the most searched individual in December on NewsonWomen. Caroline Kennedy made up for the lack of news stories covering women execs in December when she expressed interest in filling the vacated senate seat for New York. This sets the stage for an interesting 2009! I look forward to a 2009 with a lot more appointments of women to big jobs in business and in government.

November Happenings You Should Know

Do you know what women got big jobs in November? Can you name any? Do you know who the woman in the picture is? What was the biggest news in November?

No, this is not a test, just a reminder that there are things going on you should know about. I’m sure you’ve heard of the companies appointing women to important jobs in November – they included Morgan Stanley, Harley-Davidson, GE, Winn-Dixie, KPMG, Campbell’s Soup, Duke Energy, WWE!, NPR and the American Heart Association. But have you heard of the women? My favorite was Cece Sutton (pictured) being made Head of the Retail Banking Group at Morgan Stanley, (talk about being in the middle of what’s happening!). I also loved the fact that Angie Hicks got $18million in venture debt for her company, Angie’s List. That’s big news in this economy. Among your favorite searches on NewsonWomen in November were Michelle Gass of Starbucks’ fame, and Emilia Fabricant who was made President and Chief Marketing Officer of Charlotte Russe, the specialty retailer (another job in the middle of everything as the economy puts pressure on retail sales). Other firsts included our new First Mom, Michelle Obama, whose challenges as Mother of two young daughters in the White House will put a spotlight on all Moms with young children balancing work and family.

Finding Women in Business - October Summary

While the Board appointments slowed in October, I was pleased the number of women put in big jobs in big companies stayed about the same despite the economic crisis. Revamping jobs in the financial sector are going to women like Paula Rosput Reynolds, who was made Chief Restructuring Officer at AIG. Other companies appointing women to big jobs in October included Sun Microsystems, HP, Weyerhauser, Ann Taylor Stores, ITT, Green Mountain Coffee, Harris Interactive, Reader’s Digest, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Oprah Winfrey Network and Penton Media. Marketing and Media jobs showed the most strength in this down economy.

I just posted on the womenonbusiness site how much I love reading about women rising stars - where they worked, what they’ve done before. It’s so interesting to see their experiences and what industries they work in. How many women executives are you familiar with? Everyone should know more about these women. I tested my friend at lunch as to how many she knew and she came up with seven. It’s not easy to think of them when put on the spot. So she now holds the record. I’m making this an official game, calling it “Finding Women in Business” – (FWiB) - the new Kevin Bacon game. Test your friends. How many can they name without checking the web. Come to newsonwomen.com and tell me if you or your friends thought of more than seven without checking. Play FWiB and I’ll publish the record holder, and give credit to whoever spreads the word.

September Summary – Where are the Women?

September is certainly a month we will remember, not for the jobs that were gotten, but for the jobs that were lost in the financial meltdown on Wall Street. There were a few bright spots for women in the financial world with Credit Suisse, RBS, and Barclays appointing women to big jobs in September. Other major companies appointing women to big jobs this month included Walgreens, Hormel, Dunkin Donuts, Sears Holdings, United Stationers, Amazon, International Flavors and Fragrances, and Chrysler. The biggest job for the month in my mind went to Ellen Kullman, named President of DuPont. Ellen was also named to the Fifty Most Powerful Women List recently released by Fortune Magazine.

I found this year’s Fortune Fifty list interesting because of the high number of new names, like Gail Boudreaux who is President of United Healthcare and Executive Vice President of UnitedHealth Group, and also because of the industry breakdown of the companies where the powerful women work. Not surprising is a concentration in financials and media as these are industries where women have done well. What surprised me was how few powerful women were on the list from retailing. It could be because this industry is fairly splintered, making it difficult to establish individual  power. Retailing is also a very challenging environment in which to work. Jane Elfers, who was the most searched for woman in September08 on NewsonWomen.com, was just relieved of her job as CEO of Lord & Taylor even though her reputation was for turning the company around. I just read in recent news of a number of retail top jobs given to men. I don’t mind men having an equal share of top jobs in retailing, but since we are the ones who buy the fashions somebody please tell me, where are the women in this industry so crucial to our economy? I am sure they are there, they just aren't getting enough recognition.

Having so many women from tech companies on the Fortune list was really interesting, even though they were the traditional companies like Xerox, HP, IBM and Oracle. Fortune featured some additional star women in tech in a separate article. I found this article extremely important because these women have harnessed the power of sharing and use it to drive their careers and family life. They are the new paradigm. Their competence and their confidence was obvious even in the picture. And their ability to share information and resources and help each other sets them apart and insures their success. Don't underestimate the power of sharing!

Read about other women in business.

Women Breaking Barriers and Sharing Ideas in August08

August went out with a bang as Sarah Palin was nominated to be Vice President by the Republican Party, making women center stage at both conventions with Hillary's historic run for the Presidency on the Democratic side. This makes it clear to anyone who hasn't noticed that there of plenty of capable women around. August also saw some significant jobs on the business side being filled by women, including Pamela Nicholson being made President of Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Sharon Ellis Treasurer of Texas Industries, and Norma Corio Treasurer of JPMorgan Chase. Other major companies putting women in big jobs in August included Accenture, Qwest, Marriott International, Southwest Airlines, Barclaycard, Ann Taylor Stores, Credit Suisse, Lockheed, Zale, Chrysler and United Healthcare.

August also saw women giving good advice to other women. The speakers at the Advertising Women of New York "Women to Watch" luncheon told us to be champions of big ideas; have a clear strategic vision and a plan with deliverables so you can measure success; emphasize value for your customers; and capitalize on teamwork and technology. Mary Morgan, Publisher of Redbook Magazine, suggested we be open to change, and keep the focus on our community. Ideablob, who voted Elizabeth Dehart's organic food vending machine idea their August winner, advised learning about the competition, seeing what else is going on in your space, and garnering the support of interested parties to help your business. A lot of good advice was flowing in August. Let's hope we will learn more in Spetember.

Presidents Rule in July 2008 and Math and Science Come Front and Center

July 2008 saw a number of highpowered women made President or Chief Executive Officer of major companies or divisions. Lynn Laverty Elsenhans, new President and CEO of Sunoco and one of the most searched for women on NewsonWomen.com in July, is a perfect example. The digital world gave us Presidents at eBay Marketplaces and NBCUniversal Digital Entertainment. In addition to Presidents and CEO's, we had women EVP's, SVP"s, and CFO's appointed in July. Some of the major companies appointing women to big jobs this month included Tribune, Comcast, Office Max, Krispy Kreme, Polo Ralph Lauren, Safeway, MySpace, Mastercard, Time Warner Cable, Blockbuster, Credit Suisse, American Airlines Federal Credit Union, Kaiser Aluminum and Westinghouse.

Science and Math were front and center on NewsonWomen in July, with the Ideablob winner wanting to bring her love of astronomy to innercity students and the Raise Project trying to help women scientists apply for and obtain grants and fellowships. July also saw proof positive that girls are as good as boys in math in the results of a study funded by the National Science Foundation. This is no surprise to me, but I am glad everyone can now agree.

Media Meets Business on NewsonWomen.com in June08

NewsonWomen.com is where media meets business. Jenna Lee, Anchor on Fox Business Network, was our number one search on NewsonWomen.com in June. The blend of media and business that Jenna represents can also be seen in other important appointments that took place this month. Women were given big jobs for internet operations, ecommerce, news, and social networking at companies like CondeNet, Allstate, AXA Equitable, Bloomberg News, Oprah Winfrey Network, Kaboose, Walgreens, and the New York Times Company. Retailing saw major appointments go to women this month at companies including Saks, Talbots, Liz Claiborne, Lululemon Athletica, New York & Co., and Kellwood. More top corporations appointing women to leadership jobs in June included McDonald's, Marathon Oil, Gatorade, ITT, Readers Digest, BlackRock, Nissan, MassMutual, and Citigroup. This is a strong showing for a tough job market.

Getting ahead isn't easy, but help is out there. In June, New York City offered help by running Internetweek New York, a series of events to meet and discuss opportunities with others in your industry and with venture capitalists. Another new kind of help can be found on sites like ideablob.com where you put your ideas out there and get advice and comments. All eight of the finalists in Ideablob's monthly idea competition in June were women! 

Women on Wall Street and More in May,08

Wall Street carried the news with Erin Callan of Lehman Brothers and Wendy de Monchaux of Bear Stearns among the top women searched for on NewsonWomen.com in May,08. But Wall Street woes were not the only news. Women were appointed to top jobs at many financial institutions this month, including Bank of America, Wachovia, AXA Equitable, Citi, Merrill Lynch, ING, RBS Americas, and Bank of New York Mellon. Women CFO's were appointed at Bearing Point, Spectra Energy Partners, CDW and Piper Jaffray. Lawyers also landed impressive jobs with women appointed General Counsel at 8 companies including Sara Lee, AGCO and Pfizer. Media and Marketing were not to be left behind this month with women made Chief Marketing Officers, Editors and Publishers at companies like Hyatt, ION Media, LA Times, AllBusiness.com, Gourmet, Allure, TV Guide, and Sun Trust. Major technology, research, engineering and operations jobs were given to women in May at companies like Vault.com, Microsoft, Boeing, UPS, and Shop.com.

I posted about more than 50 women assuming important positions in May, 08 on NewsonWomen.com. I am excited, not only with the number of important jobs, but with the power of the jobs and the companies. The NYPost this morning gave their list of the fifty most powerful women in New York City. While those women have accomplished great success, I  think my 50 powerful women in May are just as impressive if not more. (The Post included celebrities in their list - I don't cover celebrities because they get enough press already!)

Women Appointed to Big Jobs in April Show Leadership Talent and Depth of Experience

Women moved up the ranks in April, taking on big jobs at big companies. New CFO's included Wendy Beck, CFO at Domino's Pizza, Rachel Glaser, COO/CFO at Reunion.com, Maria Dall, CFO at CIGNA Healthcare, and Robin Washington, CFO at Gilead. Other big companies putting women in senior jobs included Ernste & Young, Burger King, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, Dean Foods, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Bank of America, Chevron, Iconix Brands, Estee Lauder, Denny's, HBO, Macy's, Kenneth Cole, State Street, Target, Gannett, Kodak, US Steel and ING Americas. The jobs are impressive and cover a variety of areas such as marketing, management, business development and strategy, and technology. New media appointed women to important jobs as well including LinkedIn, Fox Cable Entertainment Networks, Brides.com, Last.fm (CBS), and Azingo. Foundations appointing women CEO's in April included the MasterCard Foundation, the Women's Sports Foundation, the Thomson Reuters Foundation and The Red Cross. Scroll down and see for yourself how women continue to show leadership talent and demonstrate the depth of their experience.

Favorite Women of March,08 Triumph Over Turmoil

Erin Callan, Chief Financial Officer of Lehman Brothers was the number one woman searched for on Newsonwomen.com in March,08 - understandable given the turmoil in the financial markets this past month.

I have been wondering if the economic slowdown would keep women from getting good jobs, but March had a significant number of important appointments, particularly in the media and information arena. Sheryl Sandberg was named Chief Operating Officer of Facebook. Bonnie Hammer was made President, Cable Entertainment and Cable Studio at NBC Universal. Mary Parent was made Chairperson, Worldwide Motion Picture Group at MGM. Lynda Clarizio was made President, Platform A at AOL. Rene Aiu was appointed Chief Executive Officer of ShopNBC. And there are more to read about if you scroll down NewsonWomen.com. In the financial world, Teresa Dial was made CEO of Consumer Banking, North America at Citigroup. Jane Mendillo was made CEO of Harvard Managemet Company.

Despite the turmoil in the markets, Goldman Sachs donated $100 million dollars to build business education programs for women in underdeveloped countries. Goldman will be working with business schools including Harvard and Columbia to develop programs in countries like Nigeria and Rwanda. Speaking of Harvard, Evelynn Hammonds was appointed Dean of Harvard College. Other philanthropy news included Jean Blackwell being made CEO of the Cummins Foundation. March came in like a lion. Let's hope these major appointments keep on rolling in as the year progresses.

Women Move Up in February in Finance, Media and Technology

Media companies had high visibility appointments in the television, newspaper, and magazine businesses this month. The women of Fox Business Network continue to generate interest with Jenna Lee, Nicole Petallides and Tracy Byrnes all among the top women searched for in February on NewsonWomen.com. Other happenings - Orly Adelson was made President of Dick Clark Productions, Lori Conkling was made EVP at Lifetime Networks, and Pamela Parker was made SVP at Sony Pictures Television. Lynne Constantini was made EVP at Scripps Network, and Caroline Waxler was chosen as Managing Editor of TheStreet.com’s new website, Mainstreet.com. On the publishing side, Jessica Sibley was made Worldwide Publisher of Business Week, Katherine Weymouth was made Publisher of the Washington Post, and Danielle Yuen was made Marketing Director of "The Week". It is great to see an industry faced with such a challenging and changing business environment turning to so many women. TheStreet.com’s new venture plans to give traditional financial issues an everyday spin with a splash of celebrity. This seems to be the hiring trend as well, traditional jobs backed up by marketing talent and some media splash.

The Finance Industry gave Media a run for its money this month with insurance companies and banks putting a number of women in important positions like Nancy Foster made Chief Risk Officer at CIT, Irene Esteves made CFO at Regions Financial, and Lizabeth Zlatkus made CFO at The Hartford.

Technology also comes to the front in February with Michele Goins made Chief Information Officer at Juniper Networks and Cara Schnaper made EVP Tech at TIAA-CREF. The new opportunities created by the internet in business development continue to produce important jobs for women like Elinor Hirschhorn, made Chief Digital Officer at Simon & Schuster, and Elaine O'Gorman, made SVP at Silverpop. Gretchen McClain was made SVP at ITT. Her accomplishments in technology are amazing, including overseeing the development and launch of the International Space Station.

Stephanie Rosenbloom’s article in The New York Times about teenage girls being the “Cyberpioneers of the Moment” demonstrates that the ranks of young women interested in technology are swelling. Girls becoming our cyberheroes is an important step forward in developing future leaders. I don't think the meaning of why teenage girls are now the “cyberpioneers” can be completely understood using historical measures. While it may not have a precedent, I think we should capitalize on this trend. Stephanie’s article had it right – “the girls are into putting something up and getting responses”. That should give us some insight into how to make science and technology interesting for them.

Technolgy, Media and Finance offered many accomplished women new opportunities this month. As these industries move us in new directions, more women are at the forefront and more young girls will follow if we encourage them.