Alison Cooper

The 49-year-old tobacco exec completed Imperial’s $7.1 billion acquisition of some of Reynolds American’s U.S. assets—a deal that landed the company brands such as Winston, Kool and Salem. Elsewhere, the world’s fourth largest cigarette seller, which raked in $22.7 billion in 2014, is consolidating brands—an effort to make its business, which operates in 160 countries more efficient. Smoking rates may be falling, but Imperial’s stock has risen 20% since September 2014. —Erika Fry