Much has been made of the improving situation of women globally, especially in the workplace, but the sad truth is, we’re still far from equality in business. Luckily, women manage to break through the glass ceiling, though at the cost of blood, sweat and tears the likes of which their male counterparts rarely (if ever) have to endure. Those that survive the brutal hours and climb steadily through the ranks get to the top where they face stiff competition. Still, this is a win for ladies at the top of the pile. So who are the luckiest of these lucky gals, exactly? Let’s find out…

According to a recent CEO survey conducted by Equilar and Associated Press, 2014 was particularly good for women at the top of the career ladder, as their earnings rose substantially, to a median of USD 15,9 mln per year. This represents a 21 percent hike which is all the more reason to celebrate, considering that over the same period, male CEOs had their median cut to USD 10,4 mln, a .8 percent drop on 2013. However, it speaks volumes about the current corporate hiring policy that of 340 surveyed CEOs only 17 were women. And even though they earn on average a third more than their male counterparts, being just a 6 percent minority is a far cry from the intended (and fought for) 50 percent parity. The list of highest earners is also unusual in the fields where these women excel: hi-tech, defense and software companies. This is clearly not where the stereotype would have you believe the fairer sex should succeed at all…

10 Virginia „Ginny” Rometty

Company: IBM

Annual compensation: USD 19.3 mln

Our list begins with IBM’s „Ginny” Rometty, a relative newcomer among the most highly compensated execs. Her rise to the C-suite has not been without its ups and downs, however. She has been at IBM since 1981 and rose through the ranks over many decades, starting as a lowly systems engineer. It took her more than 30 years to land the coveted CEO spot. Now 57, she is one of the younger women to reach that lofty position, which again underscores the sad reality of the male-dominated boardroom. While IBM has been struggling for many years now, Virginia’s rule seems to slowly take the company out of its slump, even if it’s just via share buy-backs and diversification. She still has Warren Buffett’s vote of confidence, and Berkshire Hathaway mogul has pretty deep pockets to show his faith in some companies, IBM being one of them. Rometty’s recipe for success? Forever reaching just outside one’s comfort zone. She says, „I learned to always take on things I’d never done before. Growth and comfort do not coexist.”

9 Phebe Novakovic

Company: GENERAL DYNAMICS

Annual compensation: USD 19.3 mln

Phebe Novakovic is an unusual contender in this primarily soft-skilled pack; unlike most women in the top 10, Phebe started out not as an entrepreneur but as a… spy! Before heading to General Dynamics, one of the world’s leading defense contractors, in 2001, she was an intelligence operative in the CIA. She must’ve had a lot of experience dealing with people and using information to her advantage, as just 11 years later she became the company’s COO. In 2013 she was appointed the chairman of the board and CEO, where she has been helping to improve her company’s fortunes ever since. The majority of Phebe’s 19 mln paycheck comes in the form of company equity, but she’s still ranked no.56 on Forbes’ 100 most powerful women and 11th on the Fortune magazine’s 50 most powerful women in business.

8 Margaret „Meg” Whitman

Company: HP

Annual compensation: USD 19.6 mln

The same list ranks Margaret „Meg” Whitman no. 6, and for good reason: before coming to HP in 2011, she’s been the main driving force behing eBay’s success as one of its earliest executives. As HP’s CEO her goal has been to put the ailing company back on track via a five-year plan. Late in 2014 HP has finally posted positive sales figures, for the first time in years, after falling as much as 6.7 percent in 2013. Her latest strategy involves splitting HP into two separate business entities in an effort to reduce overheads and improve structure. According to her, this will make both resulting companies more nimble and it will be less confusing to lead two very distinct companies instead of one with very disparate products and services.

7 Irene Rosenfeld

Company: MONDELEZ Int.

Annual compensation: USD 21.0 mln

Speaking of diversifying companies with many different products, Mondelez is the result of a similar strategy carried out a few years back, when global giant Kraft Foods split into two separate entities, with one (retaining the name) dealing with US groceries market (with products like Oscar Mayer meats and Maxwell House coffee) and the other (now called Mondelez) taking over the global snacking market. Irene Rosenfeld — a veteran of the industry with more than 30 years’ experience under her belt — was picked as the CEO for the global spin-off company. This was the right decision: under Irene’s auspices, the food giant posted modest 1 percent sales increase and 28 percent revenue boost in 2013. The energetic CEO has bigger plans still, as she wants to streamline the company by reducing costs by USD 1.5 bln over the following four years. Her hard work has paid off for her personally as well, as her compensation in 2014 was upped by more than 50 percent, though that increase was mostly in the form of pension plan and retirement benefits. Her bonus was similarly increased to USD 3.6 mln, while her base salary of USD 1.6 mln remained almost unchanged. Still, at just 61 she’ll no doubt have a lot more ideas to improve her company’s bottom line as well as her personal fortune.

6 Ursula Burns

Company: XEROX

Annual compensation: USD 22.2 mln

Unlike perhaps most other women in the list, Ursula Burns, ranked 6th most compensated CEO last year, has had truly humble beginnings, starting out as a daughter of a single mother in the housing projects. She started out in 1980 as an intern and climbed the corporate ladder, eventually becoming a VP. Her influence grew so much that in 2009 she was named XEROX’s CEO. In fact, she was recognized as the first African-American CEO of a Fortune 500 company at the time. The rags-to-riches story has helped her lead by example, and she’s now serving as a member on the boards of such diverse companies as EXXON Mobil, American Express and Boston Scientific, to name but a few. She’s also a very prominent public speaker, making appearances at various events relating to business, education and non-profit organizations. As an inspirational figure, she offers this piece of advice to aspiring business women; „I didn’t think, when I walked into the company, that I would be the CEO. I did expect to be successful, though. My mother raised us to think that if we worked hard, and if we put our end of the bargain in, it would work out OK for us.” Perhaps not surprisingly, it all did work out OK for her and her family (what with her earning a total of more than 20 million dollars annually). Unfortunately, XEROX itself is not as OK, as even despite artificially induced short-term stock growth (due to stock buy-backs) it is still a loss-making company, posting 2.5 percent drop in revenues in 2013.

5 Indra Nooyi
Company: PEPSICO

Annual compensation: USD 22.5 mln

Middle of the pack is Indian-born Indra Nooyi (we had a feature on her a while back in BEM). This naturalized American entrepreneur is most well known for her achievements at PepsiCo, the world’s second largest food and drink company (by net revenue). She joined the company in 1994, and in six short years rose to the C-level position. Her leadership has visible impact on the way this global brand has developed: its revenues soared, and its new products are consistently ranked as best-sellers globally. Recently, those were Starbucks Iced Coffee, Mountain Dew Kickstart and Muller Quaker Yogurt. The company’s revenue was a whopping USD 66.4 bln in 2013, and almost 10 percent of it came from the newly developed products that would not have been put on the shelves were it not for Indra’s inventive way of running this business. For years now, Indra has been pushing for an increased role of Research and Development (by increasing spending by a fourth since 2011) and new product launches. The company’s bottom line proves her efforts were not in vain, and that’s why she brought home a hefty sum of USD 22.5 mln last year. Of course, her actual wage is a lot lower, as most of her income stems from the company options and other incentives. Still, her overall compensation grew an astonishing 45 percent, likely as a way of showing appreciation for her achievements in a volatile economy.

Always an inspiration, Indra offers these words of wisdom to any future leaders: „…Nobody notices when you do an easy job well. It’s far better to challenge yourself by raising your hand for the toughest assignments and work to solve problems that no one else has been able to solve.”

4 Carol Meyrowitz

Company: TJX

Annual compensation: USD 28.7 mln

There’s quite a gap here, but in reality, Carol Meyrowitz isn’t that far from Indra Nooyi in terms of compensation. According to Voice of America, her actual earnings fall into around USD 23.3 mln at the clothing store giant TJX (home for such brands as T.J. Maxx and Marshalls). She has been at the helm of TJX since 2007, and last year the company’s record-shattering profits of USD 2.22 bln prove she’s in the right place, at the right time. In fact, a few months back TJX even announced raising the wages for its employees, something rarely witnessed in the cut-throat world of retail. Carol has definitely the vote of confidence from the company, as TJX’s founder, Bernard Cammarata tapped her for the chairman of the board position once he retires later in June. Cammarata has created the company back in 1976 and has been serving on and off as its CEO ever since, filling in as an interim leader between 2005 and 2007. That he is ready and willing to let another person be not only in charge of the day-to-day affairs as the CEO, but also in charge of the company’s financial and long-term future as the chairman, means that person is trusted enough to lead the company overall. Carol’s continued presence in the world of high-powered CEOs has been recognized by Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women list, where she holds 76th spot.

3 Marillyn Hewson

Company: LOCKHEED MARTIN

Annual compensation: USD 33.7 mln

Another extremely influential person on the list, Marillyn Hewson leads in a traditionally male-oriented and dominated field: aerospace engineering. Lockheed Martin is the biggest defense company in the world, and last year its innovative approach (including having a woman at the top) paid off, as despite the reduction in overall military spending, the company’s stock price nearly doubled. The company’s continued growth is without a doubt the result of Marillyn Hewson’s careful and deliberate strategy of making investors believe in the company and boosting demand in new markets overseas. Despite being hailed as one of the first women to reach the position of a CEO in such a company, she’s actually earned her place by slowly climbing the ranks from the engineer position. It took her a while (she was hired in 1983), but ever since stepping up to the plate in 2013, she made sure the company stays on top in the most important fields of defense and research.

It seems that even though she’s now at the peak of her career, she’s never forgotten what helped her get there. „Good leaders organize and align people around what the team needs to do,” she says, adding, „Great leaders motivate and inspire people with why they’re doing it. That’s purpose. And that’s the key to achieving something truly transformational.”

2 Safra Ada Catz

Company: ORACLE

Annual compensation: USD 37,7 mln

Number two on our list, and one of the most successful female CEOs of the decade, Safra Catz made her exec chops at Oracle back in 1999 and has been in the upper echelons of the app and database giant ever since. However, unlike pretty much everyone else on the list, 2014 was the first year as CEO for Safra, so at least on paper she seems to be the least experienced among the ten most compensated women.She was appointed as a co-CEO along with Mark Hurd by the company mainstay and co-founder, Larry Ellison. Larry surprised everyone by stepping down from the CEO spot and taking over as the CTO (though he’s still the executive chairman). Also unlike her fellow CEOs from the list, Safra openly states that she doesn’t want to lead the company on her own, and that should either or both of her male colleagues step down, she’ll likely follow suit, if not retire faster than them. There’s every reason not to, though; despite still playing catch-up to giants like Microsoft/SAP, Oracle has remained a close contender and, according to Safra’s recent announcement, newly developed cloud tech by Oracle will help them attain the elusive no.1 spot globally.

1 Marissa Mayer

Company: YAHOO

Annual compensation: USD 42,1 mln

And at the top of our list there’s a woman who has got it all: great looks, great fortune and great success, proving once and for all that, yes, you can be a girl AND have it all. Meet Marissa Mayer, head of online colossus Yahoo. She started out very strong, what with her being employee no. 20 of the then-fledgling Google. She’s been with Google through thick and thin, but then left to head Yahoo in 2012. Considering her compensation, that was the right move economically, and one that, perhaps, still hasn’t paid off fully as yet. Apparently, she’d earn MORE than her already staggering USD 42 mln of compensation, were Yahoo in a better shape.

Just last year, Mayer’s bonus was cut by USD 900 000 and her stock awards were reduced by USD 12.4 mln, a tangible result of the Yahoo’s poor performance of late. Despite that, the company board praised Marissa’s overall achievements, citing her embracing of the social, mobile and native video categories as well as hammering out the deal with Firefox, so that its browser would come stocked with Yahoo’s and not Google’s search engine. While that last part isn’t likely to make anyone at Google lose sleep any time soon, her „MaVeNS” strategy (an acronym for social, mobile and native video coined by her husband) did pay off quite nicely. And yet, critics cite the overall slump in ad sales and core business revenues as the examples of how Mayer isn’t making good on her promise to turn around the company’s fortunes — something Mayer has been promising to do ever since taking the job. She did make a lot of changes, though; from the 2013 purchase of Tumblr (which we wrote about a while back) to resurrecting the never-quite-dead TV show Community (yes, Yahoo has its own TV series!), Mayers is steadfast in her ambition to make Yahoo more social, more mobile and more content-oriented than its competitors (like Google and AOL, who both have high ad revenues and republish third-party content). To her fans and followers, Mayers has a piece of advice that echoes pretty much every other CEO on our list, proving once and for all that great minds think alike; „I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough.”

So, are you ready to take on something you’re not quite ready to do? If you are, and you’re a woman, chances are you have your work cut out for you. But the rewards, as seen in the list above, are well worth the risk…

VOCABULARY
much has been made of sth… – wiele się mówiło o czymś…
equality – równość
glass ceiling – szklany sufit (o niewidocznej lecz istniejącej nierówności między mężczyznami i kobietami na wysokich stanowiskach/w korporacjach)
…the likes of which… – któremu podobni…, który (nie ma sobie równych)…
counterpart – odpowiednik
to endure – znosić
steadily – powoli, stale
to face sth – stawać w obliczu czegoś
stiff competition – zaciekła/ostra konkurencja
top of the pile – czoło stawki, najwyższa pozycja
gal – dziewczyna (pot.)
CEO (Chief Executive Officer) – dyrektor naczelny
survey – ankieta, sondaż
to conduct sth – przeprowadzić coś
earnings – zarobki
substantially – znacząco
median – mediana, średnia wartość
hike – wzrost, podwyżka
sth is all the more reason to… – coś jest najlepszym powodem do tego, aby…
considering – zważywszy (że)
to speak volumes about sth – być wielce wymownym, wyraźnie świadczyć o czymś
hiring policy – polityka zatrudniania
on average – przeciętnie
minority – mniejszość
sth is a far cry from sth – coś jest kompletnie inne, niż coś; coś jest jak najdalsze od czegoś
intended – planowany, zamierzany
parity – parytet, równowaga (sił)
defense – obrona, tu: przemysł zbrojeniowy
sb would have you believe sth – ktoś chciałby ci coś wmówić, ktoś chce, byś uważał (że coś jest jakieś)
the fairer sex – płeć piekna
annual compensation – roczne zarobki
relative – względny, stosunkowy
newcomer – debiutant, nowo przybyły
exec – menadżer wyższego szczebla, dyrektor
C-suite – szczebel dyrektorski, ścisłe kierownictwo
ups and downs – wzloty i upadki
to rise through the ranks – piąć się po szczeblach kariery
lowly – podrzędny, pośledni
to land sth – zdobyć coś, dorwać
coveted – upragniony
lofty – górnolotny, wzniosły
to underscore sth – podkreślać coś
boardroom – sala posiedzeń, tu: szczebel kierowniczy
to struggle – borykać się (z trudnościami)
rule – rządy, urzędowanie
slump – zastój
via – poprzez
share buy-back – zakup akcji własnych, skupowanie akcji własnych
vote of confidence – wotum zaufania, tu: dowód zaufania
mogul – potentat, magnat
comfort zone – komfortowa (dla kogoś) sytuacja, coś, w czym ktoś czuje się pewnie
to take sth on – brać się za coś, podejmować się czegoś
to coexist – współistnieć
contender – zawodnik
primarily – przeważnie
soft-skilled – o umiejętnościach „miękkich”
to start out – zacząć, wyruszyć
entrepreneur – przedsiębiorca
to head somewhere – podążyć gdzieś
contractor – wykonawca, zleceniobiorca
intelligence operative – pracownik wywiadu
to deal with sb – radzić sobie z kimś, zajmować się kimś
to use sth to one’s advantage – obracać coś na własną korzyść
to appoint sb – mianować kogoś
chairman of the board – prezes rady nadzorczej
fortunes – losy, dzieje
majority – większość
paycheck – płaca (US)
equity – udział (w majątku spółki)
to be ranked – plasować się (na X miejscu w rankingu)
driving force – siła napędowa/sprawcza
ailing – kulejący, niedomagający
to put sb back on track – przywrócić kogoś na dobrą drogę
to post – opublikować
sales figures – dane sprzedaży
to split sth into sth – podzielić coś na coś
entity – jednostka, osoba (prawna)
in an effort to do sth – w celu zrobienia czegoś
overheads – koszty ogólne
nimble – zwinny, sprawny
confusing – zagmatwany
distinct – różny
disparate – różny, niepodobny do siebie
to carry sth out – przeprowadzić coś, wykonać
giant – gigant, olbrzym
to retain sth – zachować coś
groceries – artykuły spożywcze
to take sth over – przejąć coś
snacking – związany z przekąskami
(to have sth) under one’s belt – (mieć coś) na liście dokonań
spin-off – tu: mniejsza firma utworzona przez większą
under sb’s auspices – pod czyimś patronatem
modest – skromny
revenue – przychody, wpływy
boost – wzrost, pobudzenie
to streamline sth – usprawnić coś, zoptymalizować
to pay off – opłacić się
to up sth – podnieść coś
pension plan – system emerytalny
retirement – emerytura
benefits – świadczenia (np. społeczne)
salary – płaca
to remain – pozostać
no doubt – bez wątpienia
bottom line – rachunek zysków i strat, zyski (ogólne spółki)
humble beginnings – niepozorne początki, skromny początek
housing projects – blokowisko (z tanimi mieszkaniami)(US)
intern – stażysta
eventually – w końcu
VP (vice-president) – wiceprezes
to recognize sb as sth – uznać (czyjeś zasługi/dokonania), docenić (że ktoś coś osiągnął)
rags-to-riches story – historia od zera do milionera
to lead by example – służyć za wzór do naśladowania
diverse – różnorodny
…, to name (but) a few – … i wiele/wielu innych
prominent – znany, wybitny
to make appearances – występować
various – rozmaity
relating to sth – związany z czymś
aspiring – ambitny, początkujący
to put one’s end of the bargain in – wypełnić to, co się obiecało
to work out (well) for sb – (dobrze) komuś się przysłużyć
despite – pomimo
artificially induced – sztuczny, sztucznie wytworzony
short-term – krótkoterminowy (tylko przed rzeczownikiem)
due to – dzięki czemuś, za przyczyną
loss-making – stratny, przynoszący straty
feature – artykuł
achievements – osiągnięcia
net – netto
impact – wpływ
brand – marka
to soar – osiągać niebotyczną wysokość, poszybować w górę
consistently – stale, ciągle
whopping – gigantyczny
inventive – nowatorski, pomysłowy
to push for sth – zabiegać o coś
spending – nakłady, wydatki
launch – wprowadzenie (na rynek), wypuszczenie
in vain – na daremne, bezowocne
hefty – pokaźny, spory
wage – płaca
income – przychód, dochód
to stem from sth – wywodzić się z czegoś, wynikać
options – opcje (terminowe)
incentive – dodatek (motywacyjny)
astonishing – zadziwiający, niesłychany
volatile – niestabilny, zmienny
wisdom – mądrość
to notice – dostrzegać
to challenge oneself – stawiać przed sobą wyzwania
tough – trudny
assignment – zadanie
in terms of sth – pod względem czegoś
at the helm – u steru
record-shattering – rekordowy, bijący rekordy
to announce – ogłosić
to witness sth – doświadczyć czegoś
cut-throat – zaciekły, okrutny
retail – handel detaliczny
definitely – z pewnością
founder – założyciel
to tap sb for sth – mianować kogoś na jakieś stanowisko, wskazać kogoś na jakieś miejsce
on and off – raz po raz, co jakiś czas
to fill in as sb – tymczasowo zajmować jakieś stanowisko/pełnić rolę kogoś (pod jego nieobecność)
interim – tymczasowy
willing – chętny, pełen zapału
in charge – u steru
day-to-day affairs – codzienne sprawy
overall – ogółem
high-powered – dynamiczny, energiczny
male-oriented – zorientowany na/dla mężczyzn
aerospace engineering – inżynieria lotnictwa i kosmonautyki
innovative approach – nowatorskie podejście/strategia
deliberate – zamierzony, zaplanowany
demand – popyt
overseas – za granicą
to hail sb as sth – okrzyczeć kogoś jakimś mianem
to step up to the plate – podjąć wyzwanie
peak – szczyt
to align – ustawiać, organizować
purpose – cel
transformational – zmienny, transformujący
to make/get one’s chops – zdobyć (swoje) doświadczenie (w jakiejś branży, na jakimś stanowisku)
upper echelons – wyższe stanowiska, najwyższy szczebel (władzy)
mainstay – weteran, ktoś, kto ciągle gdzieś jest
to step down – odejść (ze stanowiska), złożyć rezygnację
fellow X- kolega po fachu/z X
to follow suit – podążyć za (czyimś) przykładem
to play catch-up to sb – nadganiać kogoś, ścigać kogoś
to attain – zdobyć
elusive – nieuchwytny
looks – wygląd
colossus – kolos
fledgling – raczkujący, świeżo powstały
through thick and thin – na dobre i złe, w dobrych i złych chwilach
as yet – jak dotąd
staggering – oszałamiający
tangible – namacalny
poor performance – kiepskie wyniki
to praise – pochwalić
to cite sth – przytoczyć coś
to embrace sth – przyjąć coś
to hammer sth out – ubić (interes), dobić (targu)
browser – przeglądarka
to come stocked with sth – być wyposażonym (domyślnie) w coś
search engine – wyszukiwarka
to lose sleep (over sth) – nie móc (przez coś) spać, stracić (przez coś) spokój ducha
acronym – skrót, skrótowiec
to coin sth – ukuć coś (słowo, powiedzonko)
ad – reklama, ogłoszenia
to make good on one’s promise – spełnić czyjąś obietnicę
to turn sth around – odmienić coś
purchase – nabytek
to resurrect – wskrzesić
steadfast – nieugięty, stanowczy
follower – zwolennik
to echo sth – powtarzać coś
to push through sth – przetrwać coś, przeżyć (coś ciężkiego)
breakthrough – przełom

by Prochor Aniszczuk

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