Fortune’s “50 Most Powerful Women in Business” issue doesn’t hit news stands for two weeks, but the women and their rankings have already reached the internet via CNNmoney.com.
Here, we recap the top 10 on the list and join Fortune in celebrating strong women in the workplace.

TOP 10 MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN BUSINESS

1. Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo

It’s the fourth time Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of Pepsi, has reached Fortune’s coveted #1 spot. Not only did she see $43 billion in sales this year, she also spearheaded reform toward healthier products. Under Nooyi’s guidance, Pepsi purchased health-conscious companies like Quaker Oats and Tropicana, and went trans-fat-free before most of their competitors. [1] [2]

2. Irene Rosenfeld, Kraft Foods

Rosenfeld is a 26-year veteran of the food and beverage industry, and now President and CEO of Kraft Foods. She holds three degrees from Cornell University, including a PhD in Marketing and Statistics. Kraft’s continued strength, even during the recession, has earned KFT a spot in the Dow 30, and Rosenfeld a spot in Fortune’s top five. [3] [4]

3. Pat Woertz, Archer Daniels Midland

Woertz spent thirty years in the oil industry before joining ADM and setting her sights on ethanol. Archer Daniels Midland, a soybean enterprise, has now become the world’s largest producer of BioEnergy. 
Woertz is also a member of the National Petroleum Council, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and the International Business Council of the World Economic Forum. [5]

4. Angela Braly, Wellpoint

Once a waitress in Texas, Braly now runs the $61 billion health insurance company with 34 million members. She worked her way up as a private practice lawyer and CEO of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri, before joining Wellpoint in 2007. With her help, the company’s stock has risen 71% since March of this year. [6] [7]

5. Andrea Jung, Avon Products

Chairman and CEO of the entrepreneurial beauty industry, Jung has enabled millions of women to work for themselves. Last year, Avon topped $10 billion in annual revenue worldwide. During the first quarter of 2009, the number of Avon representatives reached 200,000, thanks to Jung and the biggest recruitment drive in Avon history. [8] [9]

6. Oprah Winfrey, Harpo

The queen of daytime TV has an estimated worth of over $2.5 billion. Her talk show has been on the air 23 years, drawing 46 million viewers from 135 countries every week. She oversees Oprah magazine and the XM radio channel “Oprah and Friends,” and has plans to launch the OWN television network next year. She’s up 2 spots on this list from last year, but failed to climb higher due to recent bad press and a decline in ratings. [10] [11]

7. Ellen Kullman, Dupont

The new CEO of DuPont took her job in January of this year. The corporation has been in business 207 years and operates in over 70 countries. They reach a variety of markets, including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, transportation, and apparel. Kullman has plans to reorganize the company, make it more efficient, and trim $1 billion in costs this year.
[12] [13] [14]

8. Carol Bartz, Yahoo

Within her first six months as CEO, Bartz locked in an exclusive deal with Microsoft to power searches through Yahoo. With her help, the corporation has diversified its services and seen a boom in revenue. Sales climbed from $285 million to $1.5 billion in FY06. She now has her sights set on further expansion of display ads, content, and mobile capabilities. [15] [16]

9. Ursula Burns, Xerox

In July of this year, Burns became the first black female CEO on the Fortune 500. She was named Senior Vice President of Xerox as it neared bankruptcy 9 years ago. She took complete charge of the company in 2007. Through the restructuring of corporate marketing and global accounts, Xerox continues to steadily rebound in the market. [17] [18]

10. Brenda Barnes, Sara Lee

After serving three years as president and CEO of PepsiCola North America, Barnes joined the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and went on to oversee seven major companies. She took over Sara Lee in 2005. The food and beverage giant also owns Ball Park, Jimmy Dean, and Hillshire Farm. Collectively, these brands earn $13 billion annually worldwide. [19]

MORE FORTUNE FACTS on the MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN BUSINESS

New to the Top 50:
Sue Wagner, BlackRock (#33)
Linda Hudson, BAE (#43)
Bonnie Hammer, General Electric (#47)
Lauren Zalaznick, General Electric (#48)
Maggie Wilderotter, Frontier Communications (#50)

Highest Income: $42.4 million FY08 - Safra Catz, Oracle Corp (Rank #12)

Youngest: 34 years old - Marissa Mayer, Google (Rank #44)

Most Powerful International Businesswoman: Cynthia Carroll, Anglo American (Britain)

Click here for the full Fortune domestic list.

Click here for the full Fortune international list.

Sources:

“50 Most Powerful Women in Business: FORTUNE’s Annual Ranking of America’s Leading Businesswomen.” CNN Money Online. September 10, 2009

[1] ‘”Builders & Titans: Indra Nooyi” (Howard Schultz) Time.com, 2007
[2] Fortune Profile: Indra Nooyi
[3] Kraft Foods Management Team Profile: Irene Rosenfeld, Chairman and CEO
[4] Fortune Profile: Irene Rosenfeld
[5] ADM Leadership Profile: Patricia Woertz
[6] Fortune Profile: Angela Braly
[7] Wellpoint Leadership Team Profile: Angela Braly
[8] Fortune Profile: Andrea Jung
[9] Avon Executive Team Profile: Andrea Jung
[10] Fortune Profile: Oprah Winfrey
[11] “The World’s Billionaires: #462 Oprah Winfrey” Forbes.com. March 5, 2009
[12] Fortune Profile: Ellen Kullman
[13] DuPont: Meet The Executives – Ellen Kullman
[14] DuPont Company Profile
[15] Fortune Profile: Carol Bartz
[16] Yahoo Management Team Profiles
[17] Fortune Profile: Ursula Burns
[18] Xerox Executive Biography: Ursula Burns
[19] Sara Lee Management Team Profiles

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