Meet the most powerful women in digital media

Digital media has received significant contributions from women. Writers, journalists, technocrats and visionaries, women have played leading roles in making digital media stronger and powerful, reaching out to millions of people across the globe. Now meet the most powerful women in the digital media space

:Marissa Mayer
Vice President, Google

The Fortune magazine lists her as one of the 50 most powerful women in the world and the youngest woman ever to make it to the list. She is credited with shaping the design of Google Maps, Google Earth, iGoogle. Meet the glamourous Marissa Mayer, who leads Google's company's efforts on search products web search, images, news, books, products, maps, Google Earth, Google Toolbar, Google Desktop, Google Health, Google Labs.

The 34-year-old Marissa joined Google in 1999 as Google's first lady engineer and led the user interface and web server teams at that time. Her efforts have included designing and developing Google's search interface, internationalising the site to more than 100 languages, defining Google News, Gmail, and Orkut, and launching more than 100 features and products on Google.com.

Several patents have been filed on her work in artificial intelligence and interface design. Marissa also organises Google Movies outings a few times a year to see the latest blockbusters with over 6,000 people, which include employees, family and friends.

Susan Lyne
Chief Executive Officer, Gilt Groupe

After more than two decades as a media executive, Susan Lyne joined the Gilt Groupe in September 2008. She served as President and CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSLO) where she led the company's recovery and return to profitability.

During her tenure, MSLO expanded its merchandising business, launched a successful new content website, and diversified its brand portfolio with the acquisition of Chef Emeril Lagasse's company. Before joining MSLO Susan spent eight years at Disney/ABC, rising to the post of president of ABC Entertainment where she oversaw the development of shows such as Desperate Housewives, Lost, and Grey's Anatomy.

She was formerly managing editor of The Village Voice, the creator and editor of Premiere Magazine. Gilt Groupe offers (by invitation only) access to fashion and luxury brands with discounts of up to 70 per cent. Each sale lasts 36 hours and features hand selected styles from a single designer.

Carol Bartz
CEO, Yahoo!

Carol Ann Bartz is the president and CEO of the internet services giant , Yahoo!. She was earlier president, and CEO at Autodesk, the world's largest producer of design software for use in architecture, engineering and building construction.

According to Forbes, Bartz 'transformed Autodesk from an aimless maker of PC software into a leader of computer-aided design software, targeting architects and builders.'

"Yahoo! is a powerful global brand with a great collection of assets, strong technology, and enormously talented employees. The Company has accomplished a great deal in its relatively short history and I look forward to working together to take it to the next level, Bartz said when she took over as the CEO.

On balancing a career with family, Bartz , who is a cancer survivor says: "I have a belief that life isn't about balance, because balance is perfection....Rather, it's about catching the ball before it hits the floor.

Sheryl Sandberg
COO, Facebook

Sheryl Sandberg is the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook. Sheryl was earlier vice president of global online sales and operations at Google. She also helped launch Google's philanthropic arm Google.org.

In 2007, Mark Zuckerberg, Co-founder and CEO of Facebook, met Sandberg at a Christmas party. He was impressed and later offered her the post of COO. At Facebook, Sandberg oversees the firm's business operations including sales, marketing, business development, human resources, public policy and communications.

In 2009, Sheryl was ranked at 22 among the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business by Fortune. In 2007, Sheryl was No. 19 among 50 Women to Watch by The Wall Street Journal. Sheryl serves on the boards of Starbucks, the Brookings Institution, Women for Women International, V-Day, and the Ad Council. 

"Together, with Mark and the great team at Facebook, we'll be able to scale this company into a global leader and enable Facebook users worldwide to communicate and share information better. I am thrilled to have this opportunity, said Sandberg when she was pointed as COO in 2008.

Janet L. Robinson
Chief Executive Officer, The New York Times Company

Janet L. Robinson became president and chief executive officer of The New York Times Company on December 27, 2004. As CEO, Robinson oversees and coordinates all of the company's operations and business units. She had served as chief operating officer and executive vice president since February 2004.

From February 2001 until January 2004, she served as senior vice president, newspaper operations for The New York Times Company. In this role, she led the operations of all of the company's newspaper properties, which include The New York Times, The Boston Globe, the International Herald Tribune and the regional newspapers.

She also held the position of president and general manager of The New York Times newspaper from 1996 until 2004.  Robinson has been responsible for acceleration of advertising and circulation revenue growth at all properties and improvement in profit margins through expense controls, operating efficiencies and pricing initiatives.

Anne Moore
CEO, Time Inc

As Chairman and CEO of Time Inc., Ann Moore has been responsible for modernising the iconic magazine publisher amid an ugly downturn in print advertising revenue and increasingly acute competition from the Internet.

Ann Moore was appointed chairman and chief executive officer of Time Inc in July 2002. In this position, Moore oversees the world's leading magazine company. Time Inc. publishes approximately 150 magazines, which are read more than 300 million times worldwide on a monthly basis, and account for nearly a quarter of total advertising revenues of US consumer magazines.

She was earlier vice president of Time Inc since June 2001, responsible for the business and development operations for several of the most popular consumer magazines. Moore joined Time Inc. in 1978 as a corporate financial analyst and subsequently served in key executive positions.

In 2003, Moore received the first annual Time Warner Civic Leadership Award, which recognizes the senior executive at the company who does the most to foster a spirit of employee volunteerism and corporate responsibility.

Sarah Chubb
President, Cond Nast Digital

She has led the Cond Nast Digital, leading developer of upscale lifestyle and business brands online since its inception in 1996. Sarah Chubb oversees 26 award-winning Web sites in a diverse range of categories, including several high-profile acquisitions.

Under Chubb's direction, Cond Nast Digital sites have won numerous industry accolades, including nearly a dozen Webby Awards, an ASME award for General Excellence Online, and a PC Magazine award for Top 100 Classic Web Sites.

In addition, Chubb has successfully steered Cond Nast Digital sites through many technological innovations and enhancements, including video, mobile features, and numerous multiplatform content-distribution deals. She was also responsible for the development of Epicurious TV, the first television program to be spawned from the Web.

Esther Dyson

Esther Dyson dons many roles. She is a journalist and commentator on emerging digital technology, a founding member of the digerati, an entrepreneur, and a philanthropist.

After graduating from Harvard in economics, she joined Forbes as a proof-reader, later became a reporter. In 1977, she joined New Court Securities. After a stint at Oppenheimer covering software companies, she moved to Rosen Research and in 1983 bought the company from her employer Ben Rosen, renaming it EDventure Holdings.

She sold EDventure Holdings to CNET Networks in 2004, but left CNET in January 2007. Currently, Dyson is a board member and active investor in a number of start-ups, mostly in online services, health care/genetics, and space travel.

Tina Brown

Tina Brown is a journalist, magazine editor, columnist, talk-show host and author of The Diana Chronicles, a biography of Diana, Princess of Wales. She became the editor-in-chief of Tatler magazine at the age of 25, and earned a reputation in the American media industry as the editor of the magazines Vanity Fair from 1984 to 1992 and of The New Yorker from 1992 to 1998.

In 2007, she was named to the Magazine Editors Hall of Fame. She has also been honoured with four George Polk Awards, five Overseas Press Club awards, and ten National Magazine Awards.

Kara Swisher

Kara Swisher is a technology columnist for the Wall Street Journal and an author and commentator on the Internet. Swisher is co-executive editor of All Things Digital, the Dow Jones-owned site that covers media, technology and the Internet.

She one of the most powerful journalist in digital media, with a popular blog named BoomTown.  Swisher has written extensively about the World Wide Web and Internet policy issues.

She was called one of the most influential reporters covering the Internet by the Industry Standard magazine. With Walt Mossberg, she co-produces and co-hosts D: All Things Digital, a major high-tech and media conference.

Arianna Huffington
Co-founder and editor-in-chief, Huffington Post

Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a columnist, and author of eleven books. She is also co-host of 'Left, Right & Center,' a public radio's popular political roundtable program.

In May 2005, she launched The Huffington Post, a news and blog site that has quickly become one of the most widely-read, linked to, and frequently-cited media brands on the Internet.  In 2006, she was named to the Time 100, Time Magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people.

She serves on several boards that promote community solutions to social problems, including A Place Called Home, which works with at-risk children in South Central Los Angeles.

She also serves on the Board of Trustees for the Archer School for Girls. In 2009, Huffington was named as number 12 in Forbes' first ever list of the Most Influential Women In Media.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Gail Winfrey, a television host, producer, and philanthropist, best known for popular talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history. Oprah, who had a poverty-stricken and disturbing childhood, was determined to make it big. A self-made woman, she is today ranked as the richest African American of the 20th century.

She is also among the most influential woman in the world. Winfrey publishes two magazines: O, The Oprah Magazine and O at Home. She has co-authored five books. Oprah Winfrey's broadcasting career started at age 17, in WVOL radio in Nashville.

Two years later, she joined WTVF-TV in Nashville as a reporter/anchor. In January 1984, she came to host WLS-TV's "AM Chicago," a local talk show. In less than a year, she turned "AM Chicago" into the most talked about show in town. The format was soon expanded to one hour, and in September 1985 it was renamed 'The Oprah Winfrey Show'.

Oprah Winfrey was named one of the 100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century by Time magazine, and in 1998 received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.