FORTUNE's annual ranking of America's leading businesswomen
Charlene Begley Rank: 20 (2004 Rank: New to the list)
Age: 39 Company:General Electric Based in: Fairfield Title: CEO and President, Plastics Get quote:GE
Jeff Immelt and Jack Welch both cut their teeth running plastics; now it's Begley's turn. In July she became head of the $7 billion unit — and the first woman in GE's history to be a senior VP.
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.
