Marissa Mayer, VP at Google

The Executives

Marissa Mayer

VP
Google

Often referred to as Google's "gatekeeper," Marissa Mayer is the company's VP of search product and user experience. Mayer, who's been with the company since it had fewer than two dozen employees, determines which of the company engineers' free-time projects should become Google products and acts as a liaison between employees and top brass. Mayer's influence can also be seen in the design of Google Search, Gmail, Google Earth, Maps, and other G-offerings -- simple, colorful, and unwavering. --Damian Joseph

[Photo courtesy of Google]