Born in Dallas, Angela Braly followed up her undergraduate years at Texas Tech University by heading to law school at Southern Methodist University School of Law.
Three years ago, Braly returned to her undergraduate alma mater and shared that law school was a helpful, albeit incidental, factor in shaping her path to the CEO's chair.
"It was practicing law that led me into the Blue Cross Blue Shield system," Braly said. "I became general counsel of Blue Cross Blue Shield in Missouri, then president in Missouri, and worked my way up to president and CEO of the parent company [WellPoint]."
With three children, climbing the corporate ladder hasn't always been easy. But Braly's family has been supportive, allowing her to lead WellPoint, which generated operating revenue in excess of $57.8 billion in 2010.
Wal-Mart tops the Fortune Global 500 for the second year in a row. See the full list of the world's largest corporations, including detailed company profiles and contact information.
