Women have made an impact on the world in many different ways, including in government and business. Women have also helped make Fortune 500 companies a success, so it’s no surprise that there are many prominent female leaders in business history. One such leader is Madam CJ Walker, a self-made millionaire from the US who was born in 1867. Although her fortune did not reach the seven-figure mark, it was still an impressive achievement for a woman of her time.
nicole junkermann mary barra
Nicole Junkermann and Mary Barra are two highly influential businesswomen. Born in Germany, both of them have extensive experience in the tech sector. Junkermann founded the online gaming website Winamax and sold it nine years later, and she has since created venture capital funds. As an entrepreneur, she has made a name for herself across the globe.
Nicole Junkermann, the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company, has a rich history in the business world. She became familiar with the corporate world at an early age, translating for her father, who had a successful business. Junkermann’s early exposure to the business world helped her become an effective leader, and her passion for enhancing the lives of her employees continues to shine through her work.
Margaret Hardenbroeck
Margaret Hardenbroeck was born into a wealthy family and was a successful merchant in New Netherland. She started her business career as an employee of a relative, but later started her own business and settled in New Amsterdam. By 1661, she had become a prominent merchant in New Amsterdam and was in charge of her husband’s estate. In 1662, she married Frederick Philipse, who was a former carpenter. They both made money and Margaret helped him build a business.
Margaret Hardenbroeck first arrived in New York in 1659, and began as a debt collector before becoming a business representative. She worked hard to facilitate trade between the colonies and Holland. Margaret Hardenbroeck was eventually able to make herself one of the richest women in New York. When Katharine Graham became the first female CEO of a Fortune 500 company in 1973, she was the only female CEO. At the time, women made up 38% of the US working population. In 2019, however, there are 37 Fortune 500 companies led by a female CEO.
Lydia Pinkham
Lydia Pinkham was an American physician who developed a patent medicine. The drug she developed was not particularly effective, but she was able to sell it for a lot of money. She was also better-informed about women’s health than her doctors. Pinkham died in 1883.
Her products were widely popular, and she became one of the first role models for women in the business world. She also championed the ideals of motherhood, and she helped pioneer social reform through her product. Pinkham’s success is a testament to the power of marketing.
Lydia Pinkham is credited with changing the lives of thousands of women across the United States. Her Vegetable Compound helped women deal with painful menstrual cramps and other female ailments. She also raised awareness about serious female medical conditions.
Anna Sutherland Bissell
Anna Sutherland Bissell was born in Pictou County, Nova Scotia, to maritime captain William and his wife, Eleanor. When the family moved to the United States, Anna Bissell was 16 years old and found a job as a teacher. At the age of 19, she married Melville R. Bissell and became a partner in the Bissell crockery business. In her later years, she became the company’s first female president.
Bissell was an innovative businesswoman who ushered in the Progressive Era by introducing progressive labor policies. These included annual leaves, pension plans, and workers’ compensation insurance. These policies were so innovative that other companies followed suit. Bissell also became known as the “mother figure” of the workforce, taking a personal interest in the needs of her employees.
Rebecca Lukens
Rebecca Lukens is one of the most important women in American business history. She founded the Lukens Steel Company and was the first woman to lead an industrial firm in the United States. Within ten years, her company became a leader in producing railroad iron rails. It also produced iron bands for barrels and nails. In the midst of the first industrial revolution, Rebecca Lukens remained a steadfast and forward-looking leader.
After founding her company, Rebecca Lukens partnered with Abraham Gibbons, Jr. and Charles Huston to expand the Brandywine Iron Works. The business grew steadily and expanded production and its workforce. In 1840, the brandywine ironworks became the largest ironworks company in the US. This was also the first time a woman was named the CEO and executive of a company.
