Women to Watch Today
Our shortlist of women making an impact on business and the world.
In honor of International Women’s Day, we are eager to spread the word about these female business leaders whose accomplishments and wisdom inspire us year-round.
Carla Harris
Vice Chairman, Managing Director and Senior Client Advisor, Morgan Stanley
Bank executive. Author. Singer. Not only has this triple-threat sold out books and concerts — she has become a premier voice for women and minorities in both the financial sector and business in general. Prior to launching her 27-year career at Morgan Stanley, Harris received an MBA from Harvard Business School. She also has the distinction of serving as chair on President Barack Obama’s National Women’s Business Council.
Danielle Brown
VP & Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Google
After leading diversity and inclusion efforts at Intel, Brown was recently tapped to help Google increase its lagging number of female, Black, and Hispanic employees. Brown began her tech career as an associate in Intel’s Accelerated Leadership Program after a career in the accounting and pharmaceutical fields. She received her MBA from Ross School of Business.
Yvonne Garcia
SVP, Global Head of Client Solutions Group and Program Management Office, State Street Corporation
When Garcia isn’t leading a global team that provides end-to-end services for Fortune 100 companies in the financial sector, she is chairing the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). She is also the co-founding Chair of Milagros para Niños, which has raised more than $8.2 million to support Hispanic children who can’t afford medical care. Garcia earned her MBA from Boston University.
Wanda Brackins
Head of Global Diversity, RBC Wealth Management
Brackins has been head the global diversity at RBC since 2009 and helped the bank earn accolades from the Human Rights Campaign, PRISM International, and the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, among others. Even so, this hasn’t stopped her from pushing RBC past its “diversity plateaus.” She recently led a collaboration between RBC, Ernst & Young and Harvard University dedicated to bringing awareness to the role of unconscious bias in the workplace. She earned her MS in Business Management from the University of Denver.
Ellyn Shook
Chief Leadership & Human Resources Officer, Accenture
Shook began her career at Marriott before moving into human resources at Accenture nearly 30 years ago. A strong advocate for diversity and inclusion, she is the driving force behind Accenture’s goal to achieve gender balance by 2025. Most recently, she helped the consulting firm achieve its goal of hiring 40% more women a year ahead of schedule. Shook earned her BS from Purdue University.
Geisha Williams
CEO & President, PG&E Corporation
Last year, Geisha became the first Latina CEO of a Fortune 500 company and has quickly created change within the organization. Under her leadership, California’s largest utility firm has already reached its 2020 goal of generating a third of its electricity from renewable sources. Cuban-born Williams received her MBA from Nova Southeastern University.
Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and Co-Founder, Ellevest / Owner & Chair, Ellevate Network
Krawcheck, who received her MBA from Columbia University, has quickly become the voice for women everywhere who are pursuing wealth, entrepreneurship, and career success on their own terms. After occupying several leadership positions on Wall Street, including CEO of Merrill Lynch, she wrote her first book Owning It and launched Ellevest, a digital investment platform for women.