Andrea Jung
Andrea Jung is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Avon Products, positions she held since 1999 and 2001, respectively. At 50 years old, she is one of America’s iconic and most respected female business leaders. Moreover, she is the longest-tenured female executive, having stayed at the helm of Avon for almost a decade.
Avon is the world’s largest direct seller, specializing in its signature line of women’s cosmetics and beauty products. It markets to women in more than 100 countries with over 5.5 million Avon sales representatives.
Andrea Jung’s management skills are legendary. She is credited for having clearly defined Avon’s market position as the number 1 direct selling business in women’s beauty products and as “the company for women.” With her leadership as Avon’s guiding force, the global beauty company was able to execute its long-term growth strategies and meet its goals.
Ms. Jung ranked 19th on Forbes’ List of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” in 2008, and 6th on Fortune magazine’s “50 Most Powerful Women in Business” for the same year. She was also listed among 18 corporate executives included in U.S News & World Report’s “America’s Best Leaders 2007.”
At Avon, Ms. Jung displays enthusiasm and optimism in leadership. In order to get consistently strong performance, she advises that, “Leaders must reinvent themselves regularly. Fire yourself on Friday and come in on Monday as if it were Day 1.”
Andrea Jung graduated magna cum laude from Princeton. Before she joined Avon in 1994 as President of Avon U.S., she was Executive Vice President at Neiman Marcus from 1991 to 1993. Prior to this, she occupied executive positions at I. Magnin from 1987 to 1991.
Apart from Avon, companies like Apple and General Electric have sought the management and entrepreneurial expertise of Jung and invited her on board as Director.