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Ursula Burns is an anomaly. Not necessarily because she’s the firstAfrican-American woman to be named president of Xerox Corp., aFortune 500 company. Really, it’s more because she has con-structed her career at the photocopying giant starting from humblebeginnings as a summer intern 27 years ago. Today she is a womanwith the power to change the direction of the $15.9 billion com-pany, overseeing its development worldwide, including marketing,corporate strategy, human resources and the evolution of Xeroxproducts. In an interview in the New York Beacon, she explained whyshe made Xerox her home. “I stayed because of the people and to bepart of a values-based culture with a passion for innovation and adeep commitment to customers,” she said.WHAT’S NEXT: Burns plans to continue doing what she does bestand boosting Xerox’s numbers through the roof by leading the de-

velopment of everything from color production to high-tech paper.In 2005, she was responsible for $14 billion of Xerox’s $15.7 billionrevenue. Some say her appointment as president last April is a movethat will prepare her for the CEO position once Anne M. Mulcahy,the company’s current CEO, retires. When asked in the RochesterDemocrat and Chronicle about her chances, she said, “I can’t let my-self get confused by tomorrow. If I keep focused on what I need to dotoday, the future will take care of itself.”HER POWER PRINCIPLE:Accepting an award given by the Women’sCouncil of the Rochester Business Alliance, Burns concentrates onwhat she feels is the charge of today’s female executive: “We areamazingly privileged as women. We are at the top one tenth of 1per-cent of women with opportunity in the world. It’s incumbent on usto try to give back to the people who have less.” .

URSULA BURNS, 48, PRESIDENT, XEROX CORP.

THE FORTUNE 500 EXECUTIVE

Meet 11 corporate insiders, successful philanthropists and

political groundbreakers who usedtheir powerful positions in 2007 to transform their industries and

revolutionize our world

By Wendy L. Wilson

Women ofInfluence

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When former radio shock jock Don Imus made his now infamous remarksreferring to the NCAA Division I National Championship finalists as “nappy-headed hos,” the ladies of the Scarlet Knights and their coach stood tallwith their dignity and demeanor intact. “I refuse to let anyone disrespectthem,” says C. Vivian Stringer, who is the only coach inNCAA history to lead three differentwomen’s basketball programs to the FinalFour. “I want to inspire a new generation ofBlack females—women who are proud oftheir brains and confident.”WHAT’S NEXT: Stringer is currently working ona book. “It’s about what helps me motivate anddrive young people to success. I know I have anawesome responsibility as coach. I hope theseyoung people can look at me and say, ‘You knowwhat? If she can do it, I know I can, too.’ ”HER POWER PRINCIPLE: “I demand respect andequality. I don’t look to be treated better thananyone else. I just want to be treated as a humanbeing.” she says.

C. VIVIAN STRINGER, 59, HEAD COACH, RUTGERSUNIVERSITY WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM

WOMEN OF INFLUENCE

A national activist, brilliant economist and author,Julianne Malveaux became Bennett College’s fif-teenth president this June. Her goal? To take the all-women’s historically Black college (HBCU) into thetwenty-second century. “Bennett is an oasis wherewe can educate and celebrate Black women,” shestates. “There are only two institutions [Spelman Col-lege being the other] in the country that focus on usas Black women. And at a time like this, don’t youthink we need it, since the rest of the world puts us atthe periphery? Bennett is where we can be central.”WHAT’S NEXT: Malveaux plans to let the worldknow that America’s HBCUs are viable and vital in-stitutions. This fall she’ll begin to look at increasinginternational content in the curriculum as well asformulating a way to bring young Black women fromacross the country together. “We plan to expand ourlanguage offerings and improve our communica-tions and business and technology departments,”says Malveaux. “But for the most part, my first yearwill be about exploring and tweaking,” HER POWER PRINCIPLE: “Don’t be afraid to ask forhelp. All of us are empowered by sisterfriends whooffer us wisdom. Sometimes all you have to do is lookaround and see who’s there.”

DR. JULIANNE MALVEAUX, 54PRESIDENT, BENNETT COLLEGE

<< THE PRESIDENT

THE COACH >>

When former Baltimore mayor Martin O’Malley be-came governor of Maryland, Sheila Dixon becamethe city’s forty-eighth mayor and the first Blackwoman to hold the position. Since taking office lastJanuary, she has planned to make Baltimore acleaner, safer, greener city. “I knew that if the oppor-tunity opened itself for me to run for this position, Icould take this city to another level,” says the Balti-more native. WHAT’S NEXT: When Dixon’s official run for mayoris confirmed this September, she wants to bring asense of hope back to her hometown. “I want peo-ple to see there is an opportunity to accomplishwhat they want to accomplish for themselves andtheir family,” says Dixon. HER POWER PRINCIPLE: As the divorced mom of apreteen son and a college-bound daughter, Dixonhas taught her children to stand by what they believe:“If you make a mistake, admit it was a mistake andthen correct it.”

SHEILA DIXON, 53 MAYOR OF BALTIMORE

THE CHIEF

It’s one thing to give back to your community. It’s another to give back to the world.In her 25 years at Coca-Cola, Ingrid Saunders Jones has been responsible for the com-pany contributing more than $225 million to education causes and other initiativesthrough the Coca-Cola Foundation. “When people think about community, theythink local. But when we do it, we have to think about the world,” says Jones. WHAT’S NEXT: The Coca-Cola Foundation has restructured its focus on communitycommitment to include four global priorities: conservation and water steward-ship; recycling as it pertains to sustainable packaging; fitness and active lifestyles;and initiatives relevant to specific nations, such as HIV/AIDS awareness in Africa. HER POWER PRINCIPLE: Jones, who is part of an official mentoring program atMorehouse College, often tells her mentees, “Everything you do teaches and pre-pares you for things you might not even be able to imagine right now. Take the timeto learn from the people who are willing to mentor you.” .

INGRID SAUNDERS JONES, 61, SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT, COCA-COLA’S GLOBAL COMMUNITYCONNECTIONS; CHAIR, COCA-COLA FOUNDATION

THE BENEFACTOR >>

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WOMEN OF INFLUENCE

Paula Madison was instrumental in NBC’s decision to cease simul-casting Don Imus’s radio show on MSNBC after his offensive re-marks last spring about the Rutgers University women’s basketballteam. She hopes that in the aftermath, people learn to appreciatethe quiet strength demonstrated by the team. “Those of us whostay connected to younger people today realize that these girlsare brilliant and wonderful and carried themselves as we hadwished and wanted.”

A former television news director who recently served as thepresident and general manager for KNBC in Los Angeles, Madisonwas the first Black woman to become general manager at a net-work-owned station in a top-five market. But last year she left hernetwork duties to spend all of her time paying closer attention toher corporate responsibilities. She was tapped by NBC Universalpresident and CEO Jeff Zucker to spearhead the company’s diver-sity initiatives for its 15,000 employees. She’s the conduit between

NBC Universal executives and national diversity leaders. Andshe’s responsible for ensuring that the company continues to pro-vide professional development programs for NBC Universal em-ployees while recruiting a diverse pool of candidates that closelyreflects its audience.WHAT’S NEXT: Madison will work with NBC Universal’s film, tele-vision and studio teams to develop a more balanced and multi-cultural image within the NBC Universal family. “My goals are topromote more women and people of color, both behind and infront of the camera,” Madison says. “When I report back to JeffZucker, I have to make sure he is pleased with the results.”HER POWER PRINCIPLE: “Young Black women need to under-stand that it’s not just about you. You have to go beyond yourselfand see that what you do can benefit and serve a number of peo-ple in a way that other people may want to emulate or follow,”says Madison. .

THE LEADERPAULA MADISON, 55 EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT OF DIVERSITY, NBC UNIVERSAL

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My goals are topromote morewomen andpeople of color,both behindand in front ofthe camera.

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WOMEN OF INFLUENCE

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BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISIONDefying skeptics who assumed she would keep the status quowhen BET founder Robert Johnson promoted her to CEO in 2005,Debra L. Lee has green-lit original and even controversial pro-gramming for the network’s lineup—all while making a concertedeffort to cater to a younger demographic. Lee not only hiredBoomerang director Reginald Hudlin as programming presidentbut is also working with actors Vin Diesel and Will Smith in devel-oping various projects. “BET has always been known as a greatbusiness,” she says. “My goal is for folks to think of us as a great pro-gramming network, a content powerhouse.” WHAT’S NEXT: This is the first time in 27 years that BET will launchan array of new shows in its programming lineup. Viewers can lookforward to 16 new additions this season, including Exalted, whichprofiles megachurch ministers; Sunday Best, an American Idol forgospel artists; and Take the Cake, an interactive game show. “I wantBET Networks to be the frontier for great original content,whether it’s for mature adult African-Americans, kids orwomen,” she said in an interview with Multichannel News. Therewill also be edgier content, like the much-criticized We Got to DoBetter (formerly Hot Ghetto Mess), which has been attacked forridiculing Black folks and perpetuating negative stereotypes. Leerefuses to flinch before her critics. “First they should see the showand understand that the point is to encourage folks to do bet-ter,” she says. “It’s a chance for our community to say, ‘Maybe weshould stop doing this or doing that.’ ”HER POWER PRINCIPLE:“Power is the ability to impact the African-American community in a positive and uplifting way,” Lee says. Sheknows she can’t make everyone happy, and that includes all BETviewers, but she is determined to continue to use her power to justdo her best. —REPORTED BY CLAIRE MCINTOSH .

THE NETWORK CEODEBRA L. LEE, 53, CEO AND CHAIR,

“”

Power is the ability to im-pact the African-Americancommunity in a positive anduplifting way.

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WOMEN OF INFLUENCE

Last year Helene Gayle entered the history books as the firstmedical doctor, first African-American and first woman tolead the humanitarian organization CARE, where she iscompletely focused on empowering women to help reducepoverty in our world. “When you change the lives of women,there’s a multiplier effect for generations to come,” she ex-plains. “For women to see another woman in this role is animportant part of my message.” WHAT’S NEXT:Gayle has also testified before the United StatesSenate Committee on Appropriations during a hearing on fam-ily planning and reproductive health. Her testimony called forthe U.S. government to do more to help poor nations buildtheir health-care systems. “Less power means less voice andless access, and that inequity results in poorer health,” she says.HER POWER PRINCIPLE: Collectively we can change lives. “Ed-ucate a woman, give her access to generating income, allowher to have food on the table, and more than likely she’ll giveback to the community,” she says. —REPORTED BY LOTTIE JOINER.

HELENE GAYLE, M.D., 52 PRESIDENT AND CEO, CARE

THE HUMANITARIAN

“ ”Educate a woman,give her access to generating income,allow her to have food on the table,and more than likelyshe’ll give back to the community.

In 2006 Alicin Reidy Williamson was appointed tochair the National Association for Multi-Ethnicityin Communications. “The association educatescompanies on how to become diversity championsin the cable industry,” she explains. “We have aresponsibility to ensure there is access and oppor-tunity for others to have success.” In her role assenior vice-president, Williamson provides sup-port and resources for all the MTV network brands’social campaign platforms. One of her latest proj-ects includes the Country Music Television’s (CMT)Power of One campaign, which encourages theiraudience to volunteer and, she says, to “never un-derestimate the power of one.”WHAT’S NEXT: As MTV becomes more digitally fo-cused, Williamson has also led efforts to educateviewers. “I want to make sure our social networkingWeb sites are safe for our youth audiences,” she says.HER POWER PRINCIPLE:“Power is different for all ofus. I don’t need to be the person in front of the room.I can be the person who’s out of the shot and stillhave a successful vision.” JO

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WASHINGTON MYSTICS (WNBA)Sheila Johnson and fellow power player Helene Gayle announced in June their joint ef-forts to equip women with the awareness, skill and sensibility to fight global poverty.As an ambassador for CARE, Johnson has initiated Sheila’s I Am Powerful Challenge,linking influential women in the United States with women in impoverished nations,

uniting them in the fightagainst poverty. “We have tostop this downward spiralacross cultural lines,” shesays. “I believe that womencan make the difference.”WHAT’S NEXT: The philan-thropist plans to mobilize 3million women in the UnitedStates to shift this movementinto overdrive. She’ll startwith the women of the WNBA, an organization that she says includes numerouswomen with clout who have lifted themselves out of challenging environments. HER POWER PRINCIPLE: There is strength in numbers. “To create a betterand more secure world,” Johnson says, “we must work together, combine ourresources, and start a process of bidirectional learning and problem solving.”

—REPORTED BY LOTTIE JOINER

Besides being one of just a handful of powerful Black women on Wall Street, NadjaFidelia is cohead and cofounder of Lehman Brothers’ Partnership Solutions Group,a division that develops business relationships with financial firms owned bywomen and people of color. “We’ve introduced a new clientele to Lehman, havingconversations we’ve never had before. It has had a phenomenal impact on thefirm overall,” says Fidelia. She also works with the Women’s Initiatives LeadingLehman, bolstering the firm’s recruiting and mentoring efforts. “Everyone says

there aren’t enough women inthis industry, but there aren’tenough corporations willingto educate women about howto get a phenomenal career infinance,” she explains.WHAT’S NEXT: Fidelia uses herexpertise to support organiza-tions like the Alvin Ailey Ameri-can Dance Theater. She’s alsoearning her master of divinitydegree at the New York Theo-logical Seminary. HER POWER PRINCIPLE: “I’velearned over the years thatwhen we can ground ourselvesin our spirituality, it really helpsus to achieve internal peace.” [

SHEILA JOHNSON, 58, CEO, SALAMANDER HOSPITALITY,LLC; PRESIDENT AND MANAGING OWNER,

THE CRUSADER >>

NADJA FIDELIA, 42 MANAGING DIRECTOR, LEHMAN BROTHERS

WOMEN OF INFLUENCE

ALICIN REIDY WILLIAMSON, 38SENIOR VICE-PRESIDENT,CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY ANDPUBLIC AFFAIRS, MTV NETWORKS

THE CONSCIENCE THE WALL STREET WONDER

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