Charlotte Beers: Picture of Woman Power

Charlotte Beers is an advertising executive who became the icon for women excellence and power in the field of advertising. Beers was born on July 26, 1935 in Beaumont, Texas.

With her exceptional business acumen and hard work, Beers was able to make a name for herself in a series of jobs she held. She was a market researcher for Uncle Ben’s. She moved to J. Walter Thompson to become an account executive. In over a century-old history of J. Walter Thompson, Beers became its first female vice president.

She was denied promotion at J. Walter Thompson so she moved to Tatham-Laird & Kudner. For two years, Beers worked for 100 hours per week. There, she turned around the employees’ low morale and the company’s unstable finances. She became the company’s CEO. During her tenure as CEO, the company’s profit margin doubled the industry’s average. Billings were tripled.

In 1992, Beers decided to move to Ogilvy & Mather. There, she increased the company’s billings to $2 billion in her four-year tenure.

In October 2001, Beers became the undersecretary for State Secretary Collin Powell until March 2003.