Barbara Rentler

Ross had a banner year, with profits jumping 22%, to $1.4 billion, and sales up 10%, breaking the $14 billion revenue mark for the first time. In August, the press-shy Rentler upped the California-based off-price retailer’s total longterm store-count target to 3,000 locations (it has just under 1,700 today), and in September the stock hit an all-time high. The smooth ride could get a bit rockier, though; the company is forecasting earnings per share for the second half of the year that are below analyst expectations.