Marillyn Hewson

Nothing says power like rockets and ramparts. Hewson has become the top purveyor of U.S. defense at a time when geopolitical threats (and the government funding that goes along with them) abound—not just on earth, but also in space and cyberspace. As head of the country’s largest government contractor, Hewson rises to No. 1 this year, having positioned Lockheed Martin in the sweet spot to cater to the modern military’s needs—from its humming F-35 fighter jet program to its ability to equip the White House’s proposed “Space Force.” Lockheed is also leading the charge to develop hypersonic weapons, which travel five times as fast as the speed of sound. Such new tech has become a U.S. national security priority given advances in Russia and China, helping Lockheed win about $1 billion in contracts so far in 2018. That’s been a tailwind for the stock, with returns up 15% year over year, boosting Lockheed’s market value to nearly $100 billion.

Read: Commanders in Chief: The Women Building America’s Military Machine.