by Patricia Sellers
Many people are asking: Will Internet analyst Mary Meeker be savvy enough at spotting brand-new businesses to succeed as a venture capitalist in Silicon Valley?
Quitting Morgan Stanley (MS), where she's worked for 19 years, to become a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers is a major career switch. "Will I be good at this?" is one of several questions she asked herself, Meeker, 51, told me yesterday.
The MORE
Patricia Sellers - Nov 30, 2010 1:52 PM ET
Photo credit: Morgan Stanley
by Patricia Sellers
When Internet analyst Mary Meeker announced at Morgan Stanley's Monday morning meeting today that she's leaving to become a venture capitalist at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, most people were surprised.
But to those who know Meeker, the so-called Queen of the 'Net since the late '90s, her move from Wall Street to Silicon Valley is a long time coming.
I mentioned this "rumor" (will Meeker MORE
Patricia Sellers - Nov 29, 2010 5:18 PM ET
by Patricia Sellers
This week, TIME Magazine presents the 25 Most Powerful Women of the Past Century.
Interesting that TIME, Fortune's sister magazine at Time Inc. (TWX), includes just two businesswomen on its list. Both -- Martha Stewart and Oprah Winfrey -- are entrepreneurs. Since her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO), is struggling these days, Martha didn't make this year's Fortune Most Powerful Women list. Oprah, whose power keeps expanding and MORE
Patricia Sellers - Nov 22, 2010 12:12 PM ET
by Patricia Sellers
I have to admit that even among Fortune staffers, most of us predicted that Apple (AAPL) CEO Steve Jobs or Ford's (F) turnaround chief, Alan Mulally, would be selected as the magazine's Businessperson of the Year.
What a surprise that No. 1 on the list is Reed Hastings, the founder, chairman and CEO of Netflix.
Hastings is a great choice, actually. The 50-person ranking is about 2010's top movers and MORE
Patricia Sellers - Nov 19, 2010 12:37 PM ET
by Patricia Sellers
Today's best CEOs know that a dose of social responsibility helps attract and keep customers and employees.
Most companies give around 1% of their pre-tax profits to philanthropic causes. One that stands above the crowd: Target (TGT). The big-box retailer gives more than 5% of its pre-tax income to support communities. The 5% pledge, which Target proudly promotes, translates to more than $3 million in giving each week.
MORE
Patricia Sellers - Nov 17, 2010 12:31 PM ET
By Patricia Sellers
Lots of movement in the Most Powerful Women space. A Friday wrap-up....
Hearst Magazine chairman Cathie Black surprised the world--and people close to her too--by accepting a job as Chancellor of New York City schools. It's not so shocking that Mayor Mike Bloomberg would hire her--they're friends, and she is, like him, a strong manager although one who's inexperienced in education. Joel Klein, Black's predecessor, also was inexperienced in MORE
Patricia Sellers - Nov 12, 2010 1:30 PM ET
By Patricia Sellers
At Ernst & Young's Strategic Growth Forum in Palm Desert, California, I'm with 1,700 entrepreneurs, investors and other business folks who, you would think, would prefer to schmooze with celebs like Google's (GOOG) Sergey Brin, Amazon.com's (AMZN) Jeff Bezos or other tech icons. It's odd that the Masters of the Industrial Universe are the stars here, sharing business and career lessons.
At dinner Tuesday night, I sat with two MORE
Patricia Sellers - Nov 11, 2010 10:16 AM ET
by Patricia Sellers
Shock and awe was the reaction to Friday's tweet from @SpeakerPelosi: "Driven by the urgency of creating jobs & protecting #hcr, #wsr, Social Security & Medicare, I am running for Dem Leader."
Nancy Pelosi's bid to be minority leader was unexpected since the protocol is for a Speaker of the House, when the other party wins the majority, to leave the job and even Congress altogether, live with the MORE
Fortune - Nov 8, 2010 2:18 PM ET
by Patricia Sellers
Polman and his son Christian
In this weekend's New York City Marathon, thousands of runners will be sweating it out for hundreds of causes and charities. One of those diehard do-gooders: Unilever (UL) CEO Paul Polman.
Polman, whose global brands include Lipton and Hellman's and Dove, stopped by Fortune's offices this morning to tell us about his weekend plans. This Saturday night, he'll be hosting a pre-marathon MORE
Patricia Sellers - Nov 5, 2010 2:36 PM ET
by Patricia Sellers
They argued that their business backgrounds would help lift California out of its economic morass, but we pretty much knew that power in business wouldn't translate to political favor. Not in this era of populist rage against corporate America.
Election results aren't yet fully reported, but the vote count for the two women who once ruled Fortune's Most Powerful Women list stands at:
Meg Whitman, 41%, vs. Jerry Brown, 54%, MORE
Patricia Sellers - Nov 3, 2010 3:54 PM ET
For the latest on the most influential women in business, philanthropy, government, and the arts, like us on Facebook. 
In a funny and candid interview, Google VP Marissa Mayer explains how she got to the top. Watch
Xerox CEO Ursula Burns shares how she once accepted a job with Dell but ended up staying with Xerox. Watch
Pattie Sellers has written some of Fortune's most talked-about cover stories, including "Oprah's Next Act," "Can Meg Whitman Save California?" "The $100 Billion Woman" (Melinda Gates), "MySpace Cowboys," Martha Stewart ("I cannot be destroyed"), Ted Turner ("Gone with the Wind") and Oprah Winfrey ("Oprah Inc."). Since its launch in 1998, Pattie has helped oversee Fortune's "Most Powerful Women" cover package.
A specialist at dissecting larger-than-life personalities, she has also profiled former U.S. Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, Morgan Stanley chairman John Mack, and countless CEOs.
Pattie co-chairs the annual Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, the preeminent gathering of women leaders in business, philanthropy, government, academia, and the arts. She started at Fortune in 1984, covering the big brand companies.
In Pattie's blog, Postcards, she provides insight into the lives of super-achievers through commentary, career advice, and Guest Posts by CEOs and other leaders.
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Fortune Most Powerful Women
Sheryl Sandberg:
Gina Bianchini
