• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
MPWMost Powerful Women

Meet the Women Guiding Donald Trump’s Transition to the Presidency

By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
November 15, 2016, 3:38 PM ET
Candidates Hillary Clinton And Donald Trump Hold First Presidential Debate At Hofstra University
Photograph by Daniel Acker—Bloomberg via Getty Images

Donald Trump’s presidential transition team faces a massive challenge—one that includes bringing women who did not vote for the president-elect onboard with his stated mission to unite the country.

So far, the team doesn’t seem to have made much progress on that part of its task, as Trump’s appointment of former Breitbart News chairman Steve Bannon as his senior advisor drew intense criticism Monday over the racist and misogynist content that has run on Bannon’s alt-right news site.

There are four women on Trump’s 16-person transition team, and while 25% is not exactly an inspiring ratio, it’s not so drastically different from that of President Barack Obama’s transition crew, which was one third female (including both co-chairs and advisory board).

Here’s a look at the four women that have been officially tasked with helping Trump make the transition to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue:

Ivanka Trump: Trump’s eldest daughter has reportedly been one of his closest advisors throughout the presidential campaign—and in the days that followed his election. Though she strongly denied that she acted as one of father’s “surrogates” during the race, her influence on him has nevertheless been palpable, particularly in matters of paid maternity leave and child care, for which the younger Trump has been a vocal advocate. Back in August, he brought up his daughter’s name in an interview about potential female cabinet members, saying: “She’s very popular, she’s done very well.”

A current EVP at the Trump Organization, she may soon be overseeing the company. The real estate mogul is planning to transfer management of his portfolio of businesses to his three eldest children, Ivanka, Donald Jr., and Eric, according to Bloomberg. Trump’s decision to appoint all three to his transition team presents obvious conflicts of interest, though the appointments are not illegal.

Subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the world’s most powerful women.

Rebekah Mercer: According to a Politico profile that called Mercer the “most powerful woman in GOP politics,” the 42-year-old hedge fund heiress played a critical role in his campaign, reportedly spurring the billionaire’s August campaign shake-up, during which he hired both Bannon and campaign manager Kellyanne Conway. She also ran the day-to-day operations of Make America Number 1 PAC, which received upwards of $2 million in donations from Mercer her and her family, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Marsha Blackburn: The Tennessee Congresswoman is perhaps best known for her staunch opposition to abortion, including what New York Magazine calls her “witch hunt” against Planned Parenthood. Blackburn was one of few elected officials to speak at the Republican National Convention this summer, and was a frequent defender Trump throughout the campaign, including backing his proposed Muslim ban and praise of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Pam Bondi: Florida’s attorney general since 2011, Bondi has been accused of dropping an investigation into possible fraud in the marketing of Trump University in 2013—not long after the Donald J. Trump Foundation donated $25,000 to a PAC formed to support Bondi’s 2014 re-election campaign. In September, a spokesperson for Bondi denied the claims, telling Fortune‘s Shawn Tully that her office was never considering joining the larger case against Trump University.

Trump representatives did not respond to a request for comment on this story.

About the Author
By Valentina Zarya
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Workplace CultureSports
Exclusive: Billionaire Michele Kang launches $25 million U.S. Soccer institute that promises to transform the future of women’s sports
By Emma HinchliffeDecember 2, 2025
12 days ago
C-SuiteLeadership Next
Ulta Beauty CEO Kecia Steelman says she has the best job ever: ‘My job is to help make people feel really good about themselves’
By Fortune EditorsNovember 5, 2025
1 month ago
ConferencesMPW Summit
Executives at DoorDash, Airbnb, Sephora and ServiceNow agree: leaders need to be agile—and be a ‘swan’ on the pond
By Preston ForeOctober 21, 2025
2 months ago
Jessica Wu, co-founder and CEO of Sola, at Fortune MPW 2025
MPW
Experts say the high failure rate in AI adoption isn’t a bug, but a feature: ‘Has anybody ever started to ride a bike on the first try?’
By Dave SmithOctober 21, 2025
2 months ago
Jamie Dimon with his hand up at Fortune's Most Powerful Women Summit
SuccessProductivity
JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon says if you check your email in meetings, he’ll tell you to close it: ’it’s disrespectful’
By Preston ForeOctober 17, 2025
2 months ago
Pam Catlett
ConferencesMPW Summit
This exec says resisting FOMO is a major challenge in the AI age: ‘Stay focused on the human being’
By Preston ForeOctober 16, 2025
2 months ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne sold his 10% stake for $800 in 1976—today it’d be worth up to $400 billion
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
Tariffs are taxes and they were used to finance the federal government until the 1913 income tax. A top economist breaks it down
By Kent JonesDecember 12, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
40% of Stanford undergrads receive disability accommodations—but it’s become a college-wide phenomenon as Gen Z try to succeed in the current climate
By Preston ForeDecember 12, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
The Fed just ‘Trump-proofed’ itself with a unanimous move to preempt a potential leadership shake-up
By Jason MaDecember 12, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Apple CEO Tim Cook out-earns the average American’s salary in just 7 hours—to put that into context, he could buy a new $439,000 home in just 2 days
By Emma BurleighDecember 12, 2025
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
For the first time since Trump’s tariff rollout, import tax revenue has fallen, threatening his lofty plans to slash the $38 trillion national debt
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 12, 2025
2 days ago
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.