Stories of Top 5 Women CFOs: From Dreams to Success!

In today's digital age, finance leaders are the superheroes of business, guiding companies through the tech revolution. With their data prowess and strategic vision, CFOs are shaping the future. 

Latest data shows 18.5% (124) of CFOs in Fortune 500/S&P 500 companies are women (as of Dec 2023).This is a significant increase from 11% reported in 2017.Consumer industries continue to lead in the number of female CFOs (data from May 2023).
Let's celebrate their success and pave the way for more diversity in finance! Meet these amazing CFO Wonder woman who've driven billions in growth for top companies:

1. Colette Kress, CFO, NVIDIA

Colette Kress is the Chief Financial Officer and Executive
Vice President at NVIDIA Corporation, a leading chip designer  with
a market capitalization of US$92 billion.
With nearly 25 years of experience in finance roles at major technology
companies, she is renowned for her strategic financial leadership.

Life and Career Highlights:

Ms. Kress joined NVIDIA in 2013 and has since played a pivotal
role in driving the company's financial strategy and growth.

Prior to NVIDIA, she served as Senior Vice President and CFO 
of the Business Groups, Engineering, and Operations Finance at 
Cisco Systems.

Before her tenure at Cisco, Ms. Kress spent over a decade at
Microsoft Corporation, where she held various finance
positions, including CFO of the Server & Tools Business.
She also gained valuable experience at Texas Instruments earlier in her career.

 

2.Dhivya Suryadevara, CEO, UnitedHealth Group

Dhivya Suryadevara, an accomplished Indian-American executive,
has recently taken the helm as the CEO of
Optum Financial Services within UnitedHealth Group. 
In February 2024, Dhivya Suryadevara, a distinguished Indian
-American executive, assumed the role of CEO
of Optum Financial Services at UnitedHealth Group.

 

3.Amy Hood, CFO, Microsoft

Amy Hood is an American business executive serving as
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of
Microsoft since 2013. 

Ø  Hood is the first female CFO in Microsoft's history. She also served
 as chief of staff in the Server and Tools Business as well as
running the strategy and business development team in the
Business division.

Ø  Previously, she worked at Goldman Sachs in various roles including
investment banking and capital markets groups.

Ø  Microsoft's CFO, leading global finance operations and steering
strategic investments. Under her leadership, Microsoft's stock
surged 300% in five years. She orchestrated major acquisitions,
like GitHub, and redirected funds to bolster their cloud computing division.

Ø  Holding degrees from Duke and Harvard, she's a powerhouse, ranking #28 in Forbes' World's 100 Most Powerful Women list.

   

4. Susan Li, CFO, Meta

Susan Li, aged 36, is Meta's youngest CFO, a role she earned after 14
years of contributing to the finance team's success.
Mark Zuckerberg,Meta's CEO,praised her dedication, highlighting her
pivotal role in the company's public offering in 2012 and her 
leadership in forecasting and budgeting.

Early Life:
Li, an Asian American immigrant, defied norms, entering high school
at 11 and college at 15, embracing her uniqueness as an asset.
She attributes her achievements to her parents' work ethic,
mentors' guidance, and her willingness to take on new challenges.

Career:

• Lee joined Meta (formerly Facebook) in 2008
• Li rose to VP of finance in 2016, overseeing corporate finance
  and treasury functions.
• She also serves on Alaska Airlines' Board of Directors since
  2018 where she is part of its Audit Committee and
  Innovation Committee.
•  She has also worked as an analyst for Morgan Stanley for two years prior to joining Meta.

 

 

5. Tracey Travis, CFO, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc

Tracey Travis is the CFO of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since
2012, responsible for global finance, accounting, investor relations,
IT, and strategy.

Career Roles:

Ø  CFO of Beverage Can Americas group, American National Can, 1999-2001

Ø  Various management roles at PepsiCo and Pepsi Bottling Group,
1989-1999

Ø  Senior VP of Finance, L Brands, Inc., April 2002-August 2004

Ø  VP of Finance and CFO, Intimate Brands, Inc., April 2001-April 2002

Ø  CFO and Senior VP of Finance, Ralph Lauren Corporation,
January 3, 2005-July 30, 2012

Ø  Trustee, University of Pittsburgh

Ø  Independent Director, Campbell Soup Company, 2011-November 2015