• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii

3

Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii

3

Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
Leadership

The new warrior elite

By
Brian O'Keefe
Brian O'Keefe
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Brian O'Keefe
Brian O'Keefe
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 22, 2010, 12:00 AM ET
Maura Sullivan

Age: 30

Education: Northwestern University, class of 2001; Marine ROTC

Military experience: Marines, 2001-06, Captain

Mission: Logistics officer at Camp Fallujah

Corporate path: Joint MBA/MPA degree from Harvard, 2009; joined PepsiCo's Leadership Development Program as a senior franchise development manager

Why she has an edge: Sullivan's vet status commands respect and admiration, even on a campus like Harvard, where ROTC hasn't been welcome since the turbulent days of Vietnam. In one class, students stood and applauded her. "I had chills. That really drew me in to the school."
Maura Sullivan Age: 30 Education: Northwestern University, class of 2001; Marine ROTC Military experience: Marines, 2001-06, Captain Mission: Logistics officer at Camp Fallujah Corporate path: Joint MBA/MPA degree from Harvard, 2009; joined PepsiCo's Leadership Development Program as a senior franchise development manager Why she has an edge: Sullivan's vet status commands respect and admiration, even on a campus like Harvard, where ROTC hasn't been welcome since the turbulent days of Vietnam. In one class, students stood and applauded her. "I had chills. That really drew me in to the school."Photographs by Martin Schoeller for Fortune
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

This article was originally published in the March 22, 2010 issue of Fortune. Read the original article, “Battle-Tested.”

Recommended Video

Tracey Lloyd

Tracey LloydPhotographs by Martin Schoeller for Fortune

Age: 30

Education: West Point, class of 2003

Military Experience: Army, 2003-09, Captain

Mission: Managed communication systems for a battalion in Iraq and built a fiber-optic network in Baghdad

Corporate Path: Recruited through Walmart‘s (WMT) junior military officer program; now manager of a supercenter in Palm Coast, Fla.


Croft Young

Croft YoungPhotographs by Martin Schoeller for Fortune

Age: 37

Education: University of North Carolina, class of 1995; Marine Officer Candidate School, 2002

Military Experience: Marines, 2002-06, Captain

Mission: Two deployments to Iraq; led Marine reconnaissance platoon near Fallujah

Corporate Path: Earned MBA from UNC in 2009; now associate investment banker at Morgan Stanley (MS)


Steve Mumm

Steve MummPhotographs by Martin Schoeller for Fortune

Age: 30

Education: West Point, class of 2002

Military Experience: Army, 2002-07, Captain

Mission: Platoon leader and Army task force engineer in Tikrit

Corporate Path: Entered GE’s (GE) Junior Officer Leadership Program in 2007; now project manager for GE Oil & Gas; working on MBA from University of Texas


John Whang

John WhangPhotographs by Martin Schoeller for Fortune

Age: 30

Education: Naval Academy, class of 2001

Military Experience: Marines, 2001-08, Captain

Mission: Three tours in Iraq; led Marine reconnaissance platoon near Fallujah

Corporate Path: Financial analyst at Northrop Grumman (NOC) working on F-18 program; pursuing MBA at UCLA


Maura Sullivan

Maura SullivanPhotographs by Martin Schoeller for Fortune

Age: 30

Education: Northwestern University, class of 2001; Marine ROTC

Military Experience: Marines, 2001-06, Captain

Mission: Logistics officer at Camp Fallujah

Corporate Path: Joint MBA/MPA degree from Harvard, 2009; joined PepsiCo’s (PEP) Leadership Development Program as a senior franchise development manager

 

About the Author
By Brian O'Keefe
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • 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
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

2
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
America’s secret weapon isn’t just innovation — It’s the freedom to fail
By Keith KrachJuly 3, 2026
37 minutes ago
Woman sitting in front of her house
SuccessWorld Cup
Airbnb offered $750 to Americans to open up their homes during the World Cup—mostly women took it up and now they’re earning thousands
By Emma BurleighJuly 3, 2026
2 hours ago
Microsoft’s next big bet isn’t on a model but on becoming the Swiss Army knife of enterprise AI
AIMicrosoft
Microsoft’s next big bet isn’t on a model but on becoming the Swiss Army knife of enterprise AI
By Sheryl Estrada and Sebastian HerreraJuly 3, 2026
3 hours ago
z
AIdisruption
Meet the Zillennials: The luckiest micro-generation in the workforce, born between 1993 and 1998
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 3, 2026
4 hours ago
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
SuccessThe Interview Playbook
$25 billion CEO says one-hour interviews are a waste of time—he puts candidates through six hours of tests and wants them to order wine at lunch
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 3, 2026
4 hours ago
Most cancer philanthropy funds research. This winery cofounder is paying for the caregivers and chair lifts families can’t afford
Successphilanthropy
Most cancer philanthropy funds research. This winery cofounder is paying for the caregivers and chair lifts families can’t afford
By Sydney LakeJuly 3, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
2 days ago
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
Success
Mark Zuckerberg feeds his cows macadamia nuts and beer to create the 'highest-quality beef in the world' on his $300 million estate in Hawaii
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 2, 2026
18 hours ago
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 2, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 2, 2026
21 hours ago
Americans are escaping the U.S. for New Zealand where house prices have hit a new low—but only wealthy Americans with $3 million spare can invest
Success
Americans are escaping the U.S. for New Zealand where house prices have hit a new low—but only wealthy Americans with $3 million spare can invest
By Emma BurleighJuly 2, 2026
20 hours ago
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
Success
Today, Emily Blunt is worth $80 million thanks to her Hollywood career—but she actually wanted to be a UN Spanish translator on $80K
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 2, 2026
1 day ago
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
Law
Egg companies made $1.22 billion in profit off a $6 carton — now they’re buying their way out of a price-fixing case with 53 million donated eggs
By Wyatte Grantham-Philips and The Associated PressJuly 2, 2026
17 hours ago

© 2026 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.