Two University of Alabama alumni have made Forbes’ annual list of the world’s 100 most powerful women.
Capstone “Legends” Marillyn Hewson was ranked No. 10, while Vicki Hollub is No. 47.
Hewson currently serves as chairman, president and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corp., which has a strong presence in the Yellowhammer State. This year marks the second consecutive year she has appeared in the top 10 of Forbes’ annual list.
This comes after Hewson was named the most powerful woman in business by Fortune magazine in 2018 and one of the most powerful people in the world by Forbes earlier this year. Hewson and her husband, James, last year gave the University of Alabama’s its largest ever donation.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and her master’s degree in economics from UA. Under her incredible leadership, Lockheed Martin’s stock has risen more than 300%.
“I was also proud to represent my alma mater, the University of Alabama,” Hewson stated upon being named the 2018 Chief Executive of the Year by Chief Executive magazine. “I am deeply thankful for the strong business education I received at the university.
“That education helped prepare me for many of the challenges and opportunities I’ve encountered throughout my career – from the day I joined the company as an industrial engineer to my current role as CEO,” she added.
Hewson, while named the world’s 10th most powerful woman in the world in 2019 by Forbes, was the sixth highest-ranking American on the list.
Hollub is a major power player and groundbreaker in her own right. Now the president and CEO of Occidental Petroleum, she became the first woman chief executive of a major U.S. oil and gas company when she assumed the role in 2016. Hollub studied mineral engineering at the University of Alabama, graduating in 1981.
She made waves across the globe earlier this year when Occidental acquired Anadarko Petroleum after an intense competition with several other heavy-hitting oil and gas companies.
“Graduating from The University of Alabama instilled in me a passion to win,” said Hollub in a statement released by the university. “I think a lot of Alabama graduates have that, and I look for that now in employees. That passion to be successful, that passion to help your team succeed and win.
“I took that with me throughout my whole career, and it still works for me today,” she concluded.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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