In some of the world’s most high profile companies you’ll find many inspiring female leaders who make excellent role models for women and men alike in the field of business.

Katherine Graham – CEO, Washington Post

Some women aspire to business success; others have leadership thrust upon them. In the case of Katherine Graham’s rise within publishing, it was very much the latter. Following her husband’s tragic suicide, Katherine took the courageous decision to pick up where her husband left off as publisher at the Washington Post.

When she started out in the role, Katherine had no idea what lay ahead of her. In her autobiography, Personal History, she said, “what I essentially did was to put one foot in front of the other, shut my eyes, and step off the edge.”

In an incredible career, her belief in her instinct led her to become the first female CEO of a Fortune 500 company. An inspiration for women in business, Katherine’s advice to aspiring business leaders is to “love what you do and feel that it matters.”

Katherine past away aged 85 in 2001.