Forbes' Most Influential Women In Media

Kiri Blakeley recently published an article detailing The Most Influential Women In Media, as ranked by Forbes. She explains that "[these women] were ranked in four categories determining their influence: audience, press mentions, earnings and social media outreach (followers on Twitter and friends on Facebook)."

The five most influential women in media are:

1. Oprah Winfrey

2. Diane Sawyer

3. Barbara Walters

4. Ellen DeGeneres

5. Tyra Banks

For more information these women: In Pictures: The Most Influential Women in Media

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Image: "American Falls" [credit: EA] from freedigitalphotos.net

Berkshares

In an effort to promote local businesses and save residents money, Southern Berkshire, MA began printing its own cash last fall. Known as 'Berkshares,' the currency is the brainchild of Susan Witt. The USD/Berkshares exchange rate is $90 = 100 Berkshares.

However, according to Asa Hardcastle, the head of Berkshares, Inc., helping the businesses and residents of Southern Berkshire isn't the only motive: "We think that by strengthening the piece of the fabric of this country, this world, that you're strengthening the whole. We definitely hope that this grows and this becomes something that flourishes across the country and the world."

For more information on Berkshares see "New England Town Prints Up Its Own Currency" (ABC News) by Stephanie Sy.

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Image: "Money" [credit: Greg] from freedigitalphotos.net

Lessons from Akon

In Episode 5 - Swing: Pure Pleasure of Ken Burns' Jazz documentary, the writer Gerald Early called Swing "the antidote to the Depression." This, he explained, was because the music provided people with something they desperately needed: an escape.

Zack O'Malley-Greenburg's recent Forbes article, Akon's Recession-Proof Tune, reminded me of Early's words. It also made me wonder if artists such as Akon are the antidote to the recession. O'Malley-Greenburg writes: "Akon is one of the only artists to increase his income in a year that's been almost as cruel to hip-hop as it's been to Wall Street." Based on what he told O'Malley-Greenburg, it seems that part of the reason Akon has been able to remain successful is that he understands what music can do for people.

"I think people lean more to music when they're going through the hard times. The recession is really impacting everyday people, and they want to try to get away from the troubles they're dealing. Music is always a crutch."

- Akon in an interview with O'Malley-Greenburg

Akon's words remind us that in order to be successful, we must first understand the needs of our clients.

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Image: "Guitar" [credit: Daniel St. Pierre] from freedigitalfoto.net

Happy Fourth!

Happy Fourth of July!!

We all know what happened in 1776, so here are some Fourth of July fun facts, courtesy of the Census Bureau (cited by USA.gov):

1 in 6: The chance that the beef hot dog, burger, or steak you eat today is from Texas

1 in 4+: The chance that the hot dog or pork sausage you eat today is from Iowa

192: Population of Patriot, Indiana - the only place in the country with that name

2.5 million: Estimated number of people living in the US in July of 1776

74+ million: Number of Americans who went to a barbecue in 2007

304 million: Number of Americans on July 4, 2008

For more information on the Fourth of July, see Fourth of July is Independence Day atUSA.gov.

Executive Profile: Ursula Burns

Executive Profile: Ursula M. Burns

Background

As of Wednesday, Ursula M. Burns is the CEO of Xerox Corporation. She holds a BS from NYU's Polytechnic Institute and Master's from Columbia, both of which are in Mechanical Engineering. Burns is a member of the boards for American Express, The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA), For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) National Academy, MIT, the US Olympic Committee, the University of Rochester, and Xerox.

Professional Timeline

1980: During the summer, Burns interns at Xerox for mechanical engineering

1991-1992: She is Exec Assistant to Chairman and CEO

1992-2000: After working in planning and product development, Burns is responsible for various business teams

1997-1999: Burns is VP and General Manager of Departmental Business

1999-2000: She serves as SVP of Worldwide Manufacturing and Supply Chain Services

2000: She becomes SVP of Corporate Strategic Services, a position she holds until October 2001

2007: In April, she is named President and elected to the Board of Directors

2009: In May, Anne Mulcahy, Xerox's then-CEO, chooses Burns as her successor. Burns assumes the position of CEO on July 1.

Why She's Inspirational

In succeeding Mulcahy, Burns is not only part of the the first woman-to-woman CEO transition, but also the the first African American woman to lead a public company of Xerox's size (Brown). Her success also shows precisely how beneficial an internship can be to one's career.

Sources:

Xerox Corporate Biographies: Ursula M. Burns

Ursula Burns: Executive Profile (BusinessWeek)

Burns to Succeed Mulcahy At Xerox in First Big Woman-to-Woman CEO Transition by Heidi Brown (Forbes)

Image: "Lily" [credit: Susie B] from freedigitalphotos.net

Executive Profile: Anne M. Mulcahy

Executive Profile: Anne M. Mulcahy

Background

Just yesterday, Anne M. Mulcahy retired as CEO of Xerox Corporation; she will, however, continue to serve as Chairman of its Board of Directors. She received her BA from Marymount College (Tarrytown), where she studied English and Journalism. Chairman of the Business Roundtable's corporate governance task force, Mulcahy is also on the boards of Catalyst (along with Andrea Jung and Indra Nooyi), Citigroup, Fuji Xerox Company, Target, and the Washington Post.

Professional Timeline

1971: Mulcahy joins Xerox as a field sales representative

1992: After working in senior management for several years, she's promoted to VP of Human Resources, a position she holds until 1995

1997-1999: Mulcahy serves as Chief Staff Officer

1998: She is named Corporate SVP

1999-2000: As President of Xerox's General Market Operations, she oversees the company's dealer, reseller and retail channels

2000: Mulcahy becomes an Executive Director, and in May, she is named President and COO (both positions were held until July 2001)

2001: She is appointed CEO on August 1

2002: On January 1, Mulcahy ascends to her current position as Chairman

Why She's Inspirational

This past May, when Mulcahy announced that she would be retiring as CEO, she also named, Ursula Burns, Xerox's President as her successor. In doing so, Mulcahy facilitated, in the words of Forbes' Heidi Brown, "the [first] transition of power from one woman to another at a large public company."

Sources:

Xerox Corporate Executive Biographies: Anne M. Mulcahy, Chairman

Anne Mulcahy: Executive Profile (BusinessWeek)

The 100 Most Powerful Women, 2008 (Forbes)

Burns to Succeed Mulcahy At Xerox in First Big Woman-to-Woman CEO Transition by Heidi Brown (Forbes)

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