Companies like eBay, Avon, Bank One, Verizon and Allen and Co. have all shared a place at the top of American business for years, but they have something more in common.
All the companies are led by women who recently made Fortune magazine's "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" list and many of these women are also members of the Princeton community.
University alumnae Meg Whitman '77, Andrea Jung '79, Heidi Miller '74 and Nancy Peretsman '76 made the list, as did Doreen Toben, a Princeton resident.
Each of these women has emerged as a major pioneer in the traditionally male-dominated business world.
Whitman, current president and CEO of eBay, placed third on the list, the highest of the Princeton women. Fortune cites the growth of eBay stock in the face of the current economic crisis as a major factor in Whitman's ranking.
Jung, the chairman and CEO of the cosmetics retailer Avon, ranked fifth. This was her fifth consecutive year of recognition by Fortune.
Jung graduated with a degree in English and has since received wide recognition for her success, including being inducted into the Advertising Hall of Fame in 1998.
Peretsman placed 31st on the list after a successful year as executive vice president and managing director of the investment banking firm Allen and Co. and Miller, executive vice president and CFO of Bank One, ranked 50th on the list after her move from Priceline.com where she also was CFO.
Princeton native Toben ranked 25th, and was the highest-ranking newcomer on the list. Toben is the current executive vice president and CFO of Verizon.
The success of these women has given them the opportunity to serve as role models for young women entering today's job market.
"For me, these women symbolize confirmation and inspiration," said Jessica Brondo, president of the Organization of Women Leaders. "Even though only six percent of the CEOs at Fortune 500 companies are women, the few that are [show] that you cannot allow any barriers to get in the way of your goals."
Despite the growing number of women in business, men still largely hold the highest positions in major companies, Brondo said. This is partly because of pressure to balance a career and a family, she said.
Women like Whitman, Jung, Miller, Peretsman and Toben are important examples of how young women can have a family without sacrificing their careers, Brondo said.
"I'm always looking for ways to be involved and bring women forward," Miller said. "Women shouldn't underestimate the demands and difficulties of [a business career], but right now there are opportunities for women to go anywhere."
As opportunities for female leadership in business continue to grow, the role of these influential women as mentors is becoming increasingly important, Brondo said.
"I feel that by being so willing to share their experiences with others like myself, [these women] are doing such a service to our generation of women by not only providing guidance, but also making the upper levels of the business world seem more attainable," she said.
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