Charlotte Beers
Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, U.S.
One of the most notable women in advertising history, Charlotte Beers began her career at JWT, where she became the first woman senior VP in 1973 before moving on to run Euro RSCG Tatham in Chicago and overseeing a turnaround at Ogilvy & Mather, where she was chairman-CEO from 1992 until 1996. She was also a renowned account person who put on a show for Sears executives by disassembling a power drill.In October 2001, she became undersecretary for public diplomacy and public affairs for the George W. Bush administration, where she helped shape wartime PR -- particularly to position the U.S. in a favorable light to Muslim nations -- in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks. These days Ms. Beers runs a seminar called "The X Factor" geared toward female business leaders.