Penny Pennington

Named CEO and managing partner in January, Pennington is the only woman running a major U.S. ­brokerage. The 19-year ­Edward Jones vet now controls more than $1 trillion in assets under management and 18,000 financial advisers. Her expansion plans run counter to industry norms; the number of brokers and brokerages has shrunk in recent years. But the firm has momentum, with revenue up 12% in 2018 to $8.5 billion.