Carla Cico

A former CEO of Brasil Telecom and the first women to serve as CEO of a telecomunications company in Brazil. She cut costs, increased revenue and sales, and helped the company achieve recognition for its sound corporate governance. She also implemented a summer internship program to help the company attract top-notch managers and promoted quality-of-life initiatives for employees.

Born in 1961 in Italy, Cico began her career with Italtel in 1987, then worked for IRI and Stet International before joining Brasil Telecom as its CEO in 2001. She earned her MBA from the London School of Business and her Master of Science in engineering from the University of London. Fortune magazine has named her to its list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in International Business and Forbes magazine named her to its list of the 100 Most Powerful Women.