Cher Wang

For the past two years, then-Chairwoman Wang immersed herself in HTC’s day-to-day operations in hopes of turning around the smartphone company’s three straight years of declining sales. In March, she made her increased responsibilities official by taking over the company’s corner office. She’s doubling down on what HTC describes as “its third life,” as a personal technology company that makes devices for health, fitness and virtual reality. —Claire Groden