Katherine Graham, CEO Washington Post
Graham’s rise to publishing leadership was something “thrust upon” her. Following her husband’s death from suicide depression, Katherine had chosen to fill her husband’s shoes as the Post’s publisher.
Katherine had no idea of the greatness ahead of her but as stated in her autobiography “Personal History”, “What I essentially did was to put one foot in front of the other, shut my eyes, and step off the edge”. That courage led her to become the first female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Katherine’s success can be summed up by her words, “To love what you do and feel that it matters — how could anything be more fun?”
“It is within everyone’s grasp to be a C.E.O.” – Martha Stewart