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. 

• 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.
• Previously, she worked at Goldman Sachs in
  various roles including investment banking and
  capital markets groups.
• 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.
• 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 T. Travis, a member of Accenture’s board of
directors since July 2017, is executive vice
president and chief financial officer of The Estée
Lauder Companies since 2012,responsible for global
finance, accounting, investor relations, IT, and
strategy.

Career Roles:

• CFO of Beverage Can Americas group, 
  American National Can, 1999-2001
•     Various management roles at PepsiCo and Pepsi
  Bottling Group,1989-1999
•     Senior VP of Finance, L Brands, Inc.,
  April 2002-August 2004
•     VP of Finance and CFO, Intimate Brands, Inc.,
  April 2001-April 2002
•     CFO and Senior VP of Finance, Ralph Lauren Corporation, January 3, 2005-July 30, 2012
•     Trustee, University of Pittsburgh
•     Independent Director, Campbell Soup Company, 2011-November 2015