Business has its ups and downs, and so, naturally, do women in business. (Bye-bye, Martha!) But the story of this list is one of achievement: The credentials of these women, including the 13 newcomers, are the strongest yet. By Katie Benner, Eugenia Levenson, and Rupali Arora |  |  |  | 10 of 50 | 10. Brenda Barnes 2006 rank: 6
Age: 53
Is the turnaround finally working? Maybe - just maybe. Sales rose 7.1%, to $12.3 billion, and operating income 32%, to $556 million, in fiscal 2007. The key: innovation. Since 2005, Sara Lee has accounted for almost half the new bakery products in the U.S., and Barnes plans to launch 75 new products in 2008. The stock price, alas, has barely budged. Investors worry that margins will stay slim because of increased marketing spending.
|  Which corporate women raked it in last year - and how much did they earn? ( more)  See which women executives are on top of the world. ( more)  These executives, all on this year's Powerful Women list, are clearly capable of leading a major company someday. ( more) |
