FORTUNE's annual ranking of America's leading businesswomen
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Rank: 1 (2004 rank: 1)
Areva
France
Chairman
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| Despite an unsuccessful attempt to convince the French government to privatize Areva, the world's largest nuclear-technology company, business couldn't be better. Lauvergeon, 46, snagged deals in China and hopes to build the first new commercial reactor in the U.S. in 27 years. High fossil-fuel prices have led many countries to take a fresh look at atomic energy, boosting revenue at Areva 48% last year, to $13.8 billion. The former civil servant recently increased her own power by becoming a director of Vodafone. |
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From the November 14, 2005 issue
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| Highest pay |
| These women are among the highest paid in corporate America. All of them are employed by companies with over $1 billion in sales that filed proxies by September 1, 2005. |
| Young and powerful |
| Newcomer Charlene Begley heads up GE's plastics division and is the youngest of this group at age 39. She bumped last year's youngest gun, Citigroup CFO Sallie Krawcheck, now 40. But, on average, the Power 50 are in their late 40s. |
| Perennial powers |
| These women have been on the Power 50 each year since it began in 1998. |
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