Good morning, it’s
Fortune editorial director Ellie Austin here, filling in for Emma who is on vacation.
We rely heavily on data when deciding who ranks where on the annual
Fortune Most Powerful Women in Business list. This involves evaluating executives based on the size and health of their businesses or P&Ls, measured by both 12-month and three-year financial results. However, other, less tangible criteria are also taken into account, such as the executive’s willingness to innovate, her efforts to make business better, and the influence that she wields beyond her company.
One woman who scores highly in this latter category is Dina Powell McCormick, who is
No. 58 on this year’s list. In January, she was appointed president and vice chairman of Meta, after a year on the company’s board. Her broad remit includes co-leading the division that manages Meta’s multi-billion-dollar AI infrastructure buildout. Drawing on her years at the highest echelons of Washington and Wall Street (Powell McCormick has held multiple unelected political positions, including time as deputy national security advisor during President Trump’s first term, as well as 16 years at Goldman Sachs), she is tasked with securing large-scale investors across the globe to help fund Meta’s vast AI ambitions. This is a hugely important role, both for Meta and the AI revolution more generally. And yet, I’d argue that Powell McCormick’s true power transcends her job title.
Last month, I traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet her. It was the day before the White House Correspondents Dinner, and she was co-hosting a lunch to showcase Meta’s AI initiatives. I watched her dart around the hotel ballroom, enveloping people from both political parties in hugs. During an onstage interview at the event, she told us that she considers the Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, John Fetterman, who was in attendance, a “dear friend.” Shortly afterwards, she waved to the Republican former Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, and congratulated him on some recent tech investments. I chatted to a small-business owner from New York who told me that Powell McCormick is a mentor to her. “I will support Dina wherever she goes,” she added. Fast-forward a week or so, and Powell McCormick was one of three women in a group of business leaders who
accompanied President Trump to China. Yes, her current title is impressive and makes her a pivotal decision-maker at one of the world’s most influential companies, but what distinguishes Powell McCormick from other leaders is the sprawling cross-industry network that she has built over decades. It’s a key reason why Meta hired her.
Many skills and factors no doubt contributed to Powell McCormick’s rise. Yet, at a time when we find ourselves glued to screens and more divided than ever, her trajectory is a reminder of the importance of so-called “soft power.” Impactful leadership can be loud, or it can manifest more subtly as the ability to connect with people of all backgrounds and beliefs and make them feel that they matter.
You can read my interview with Powell McCormick
here.
Ellie Austin
Editorial Director, Most Powerful Women
ellie.austin@fortune.comThe Most Powerful Women Daily newsletter is Fortune’
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