FORTUNE's annual ranking of America's leading businesswomen
Ann Godbehere Rank: 27 (2004 rank: 28)
Company: Swiss Re Based in: Switzerland Title: Chief Financial Officer
When the CEO of the world's second-largest reinsurance company announced he was leaving last year, Godbehere wasn't mentioned as a candidate for the job. But that shouldn't diminish the importance of the 50-year-old Canadian-born CFO at the $29 billion company. Swiss Re's net profit jumped 45% last year, and Godbehere's decision to hang on to that money rather than give in to shareholders demanding a stock buyback seems prescient as the reinsurer copes with huge payouts after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
From the November 14, 2005 issue
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.
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.
