Tech execs top Fortune's list of powerful women

IBM CEO Ginni Rometty is No. 1, while Hewlett-Packard's Meg Whitman nabs third place.

September 20, 2012 9:10 AM PDT Follow @sharatibken

IBM CEO Ginni Rometty was named as Fortune's most powerful woman in business.

(Credit: Screenshot: Chris Matyszczyk/CNET)

Fortune's list of the 50 most powerful women in business is out, and it come as no big surprise that some of the top players work in the tech industry.

Ginni Rometty, IBM's recently appointed CEO, nabbed the No. 1 spot, up from No. 7 last year. Rometty, a longtime IBMer, ran Big Blue's sales operations before taking over as chief executive in January. Fortune noted she's now in charge of delivering on some of IBM's biggest changes, such as buying PwC and developing a five-year growth plan.

Meg Whitman, CEO of IBM rival Hewlett-Packard, made the No. 3 spot, up from ninth place in 2011. Whitman faces a tough job in turning around the PC giant, which has been struggling to adapt to changes in the industry such as the increasingly popularity of tablets. She has said a turnaround will take some time.

Other women in tech making the list include Xerox CEO Ursula Burns at No. 7, Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg at No. 8. and Oracle President Safra Catz at No. 10. Marissa Mayer, Yahoo's recently appointed CEO, came in 14th.

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