(FORTUNE Magazine) – Senior U.S. executives cast their votes in a popularity contest for the most innovative companies and, no big surprise, oft-bedecked Microsoft won first place (see table). The Seattle software maker ran away with 39% of the respondents' votes in a recent FORTUNE survey. Far behind in second place was General Electric, which received a still respectable 18%. Nine of the ten most innovative may be obvious picks. But Chrysler? It seems that the voters gave the No. 3 automaker a lot of credit for its platform team concept for developing cars and trucks.

; BOX: INNOVATION CHAMPS

1. Microsoft 2. General Electric 3. 3M 4. AT&T 5. Motorola 6. Apple Computer 7. Intel 8. Merck 9. Wal-Mart Stores 10. Chrysler

FORTUNE TABLE