Tricia Griffith

Fortune’s reigning Businessperson of the Year, Griffith leads by example, drawing from the experience of having risen from entry-level claims adjuster to CEO over 30 years at Progressive. In her first C-suite gig, as head of human resources, she launched Progressive’s first diversity and inclusion programs.   As CEO, she grabs lunch with rank-and-file employees in the company cafeteria every Friday to help break down communication barriers and spread cohesion across the ranks. She excels at fostering creativity, sponsoring innovative hackathons and problem-solving workshops that spur heads-up thinking. Her moves have made Progressive a rare fast grower in a competitive, commoditized industry: Revenue has increased 36% since Griffith took the helm in 2016, thanks in part to a bet on A.I. and a bold leap into home insurance.