Girl Power Talk reposted this
General Partner at Joyful VC | #1 Bestselling Author of The Future of Food is Female | Founder of VWS | Women's Leadership Advocate | Keynote Speaker | Rolling Stone Contributor
This 57-year-old executive started working at 14 years old to put herself through college, then went on to make history as the highest paid female CEO in the world. Meet Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture. Born in a small town in California to a car painter and esthetician, Julie knew from a young age that she was destined for big things. The only problem? Getting the money to pay for it. By age 14, Julie walked into her local theatre and asked for a job. Taken aback by the teen's confidence, the theatre hired her as their youngest employee. Quickly, she started saving up for school. By 1985, Julie enrolled in Claremont McKenna College and earned a degree in Chinese. By 1990, Julie enrolled in Columbia Law School and earned her JD. After graduating from Columbia, Julie took a typical lawyer's path and joined the prestigious law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP. Soon, she became a partner at the firm, advising clients on mergers and acquisitions. Then, one fateful day, Julie picked up the phone. It was a recruiter hiring for General Counsel at Accenture. With small kids at home and a stable career, Julie had her whole life carved out in front of her. It was going to be a success. But "something" was missing. So, Julie took the meeting. Leaving behind her 17 year career, Julie took the road less travelled and became General Counsel of Accenture later that year. The challenge excited Julie and she excelled quickly. By 2015, Julie was named CEO of Accenture North America, the company's largest market. By 2019, Julie was promoted to CEO of Accenture, becoming one of the only women to lead a Fortune 500 company. Under her leadership of 730,000 employees across 49 countries, Accenture reached 40% female representation with an ambitious goal of 50% representation by 2025. Julie’s approach to leadership is deeply rooted in her belief in the power of people and the importance of a strong, inclusive culture. And the numbers don't lie. Under Julie's leadership, Accenture's value has grown a staggering 65% to over $300 billion dollars. When looking for new team members, Julie's two most important traits are simple: "A curious mind. And the courage to say what needs to be said." It's no surprise that Julie was the highest paid female CEO in the world this past year. Yet, I bet this post might be the first time you've heard of Julie. That's why I'm going to be sharing the stories of more women execs & founders like Julie every Wednesday for #WomenFounderWednesday. Subscribe to my profile by hitting the 🔔 in the top right corner. #founders #women