Orly Adelson

President, ITV Studios America
Since assuming her position as president of ITV Studios America in January, Adelson has launched the company’s scripted division, which quickly unveiled two series, “The Good Witch” and “Texas Rising.” She has also since grown its nonscripted biz by 30%. On the philanthropic side, Adelson serves on the advisory board of the USO, having been an officer herself in the Israeli army. She is also an active board member of Women in Film, and has mentored a young student who is now on her third year at UC Berkeley. Through her involvement in WIF, Adelson hopes to “make a significant impact on the ratio of women in the business. … I want to give back to the business I belong to.”

Jessica Alba

Actor, Entrepreneur
Between running a company, raising two girls and the many charities she attends to, Alba often finds being on set the most relaxing activity on her schedule. Determined to give children a safe environment, Alba launched the Honest Co. in 2012 with an affordable line of all-natural personal, childcare and household cleaning products. “It’s more of a lifestyle we are selling,” says Alba, who believes in a holistic approach to the business. While Honest CEO and co-founder Brian Lee steers the business side, Alba is closely involved with the creative aspects of the company, overseeing marketing campaigns and packaging designs. The Honest Co. has reportedly raised $70 million at a valuation of nearly $1 billion in preparation for an IPO, and talks are under way to expand into China.

Stephanie Allain

Director, Los Angeles Film Festival
Allain knows what it’s like on both sides of a festival lineup with her work as a producer on films like “Hustle & Flow,” “Beyond the Lights” and “Dear White People,” as well as her role as director of the Film Independent’s Los Angeles Film Festival, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. For her, a successful festival celebrates the diverse creative community in L.A. and exposes locals to unique voices working in film. “It’s the crossroads of L.A.” Allain says. “Our mayor … says L.A. is where creativity lives. And it’s true, more creative people live in L.A. than anywhere else in the world. So we’re just the (festival) bringing people together for eight days downtown.”

Michele Anthony

Exec VP, U.S. Recorded Music, Universal Music Group
Anthony joined Universal Music Group last November and high on her priority list was working with UMG chair and CEO Lucian Grainge to re-establish labels Island Records and Def Jam, which were recently split back into separate entities after years under the same umbrella. “It was ironic to me that a brand like Island, who once signed a reggae artist by the name of Bob Marley, was limited to really signing alternative and pop artists because anything urban went to Def Jam, which ironically was started by Rick Rubin, who signed Slayer and the Beastie Boys. So you had this shrinking of what the brands originally stood for,” says Anthony.

Bonnie Arnold

Producer
Arnold has spent a big chunk of her professional life around dragons and the Vikings who fear and love them. “How to Train Your Dragon 2” roped in $610 million worldwide two years after “How to Train Your Dragon” grossed close to $500 million. She’s just started working on the third “Dragon” epic. Besides dragons, she works with Women in Animation in order to bring more female voices into a male-dominated field. “We’re trying to encourage more young girls to develop careers in technology, and get them the knowledge and education and understanding what kind of career paths are out there.”

Carolyn G. Bernstein

Exec VP, Scripted Programming, Shine America
Learning “The Bridge” won a Peabody Award in May was the highlight of Bernstein’s year. But having the series get a second season order from FX was up there, too. “Getting an order for season 2, and having the trust of the network for us to go in a significantly different creative direction was a really, really, happy moment,” Bernstein says. Another accomplishment was getting “Gracepoint” made. “It was a two-continent, three-country effort!” Bernstein is working on David Fincher and “Gone Girl” author Gillian Flynn’s adaptation of the U.K. drama “Utopia,” for HBO. “Working with them is a dream come true,” she says.

Robbie Brenner

President of Production, Relativity Media
Many people might have given up on “Dallas Buyers Club,” which was in development at Universal for more than a decade before its rights ultimately reverted back to its screenwriters. Not Relativity production president Brenner, who joined as a producer on the film in 2009 although she had been involved in the film since the 1990s, when her friend Craig Borten wrote the script. She relishes a challenge over a passion project. “You just have to be incredibly persistent,” she says, recalling struggles in getting key partners to warm to the AIDS subject matter. “I think that when the chips are down, and nothing is going right, it’s kind of like ‘game on.’” Brenner is set to lead new specialty film unit R2 at Relativity, where her tenacity will serve her well. “I will continue to champion the unique voices I feel connected to,” says Brenner.

Lizzy Caplan

Actor
Caplan earned her first Emmy nomination earlier this year for her portrayal of the pioneering human sexuality researcher Virginia Johnson on Showtime’s “Masters of Sex.” She appreciates the ability to spend 4½ months fully immersed in a project, and thrives on challenge. “Proving doubters and naysayers wrong has always been a key motivator for me,” Caplan says. “That, and the intentional life-long declination of easy-way-outs, fallbacks or plan B’s.” On the bigscreen, she’s starring in the Seth Rogen-Evan Goldberg comedy “The Interview,” with James Franco, out Christmas Day, and is filming an untitled Christmas Eve project from Jonathan Levine starring Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. “Christmas Day movies — made for Jews, by Jews,” she says.

Emily Castel

Chief Marketing Officer, Legendary Entertainment
After gaining notoriety for launching innovative campaigns for the “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Star Trek” franchises, Castel’s shop Five33 was snatched up last year by Legendary Entertainment, and Thomas Tull made her the company’s chief marketing officer. Castel already had been working with Legendary to launch “Pacific Rim” and “Godzilla.” . With “Godzilla,” which earned $526 million worldwide, “we were able to re-ignite the cultural significance of this iconic but dormant character in a way that crossed over to audiences that wouldn’t normally go and see a ‘monster movie,’ ” Castel says. “By grounding the mythic character in modern themes of survival, natural disaster and human vulnerability, we imbued new meaning into Godzilla, making him a character born of our time.” Up next for Castel: “Warcraft,” based on the popular videogame; gothic horror film “Crimson Peak,” from Guillermo del Toro; the King Kong-themed “Skull Island,” plus sequels to “Pacific Rim” and “Godzilla.”

Julie Darmody

President, Mosaic Management
Darmody manages some of the biggest and most successful names in the business, and her clients had quite a year — Andy Samberg won a Golden Globe for “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” Lizzy Caplan was nominated for an Emmy for “Masters of Sex,” and Chris Pratt turned into a bonafide movie star with “Guardians of the Galaxy.” For Darmody, who struggles to single out one client’s achievements because she feels so proud of all of their work, a shorter client list than some means more time and better work for each. “I have to believe that because I can spend a little bit more time for each of them, it (adds) to the creative thinking process,” Darmody said. “What other steps can be taken to help them get closer to their goals?”

Roma Downey

Actor, Producer; President of Lightworkers Media
Downey has had a great year. “I think Hollywood had forgotten the faith and family audience. When over 100 million people watched ‘The Bible,’ that rating got everyone’s attention,” she says. With scripted series “A.D.” on tap for NBC; “The Dovekeepers” miniseries coming to CBS; an unscripted show for TLC; feature films “Ben-Hur” and “Little Boy”; and more projects yet to be announced, her LightWorkers shingle is hitting its stride. “Now, this previously underserved audience is going to have some more choices. I find that exciting,” Downey says. And on Sept. 22, MGM acquired a 55% stake in the production companies jointly owned by Downey, husband Mark Burnett and Hearst Entertainment and has revived the United Artists banner to house the investment.

Geralyn Dreyfous

Co-Founder, Impact Partners Film Fund, Gamechanger Films
Dreyfous is behind some of the past decade’s most influential documentaries. As founder of the Utah Film Center and co-founder of Impact Partners Film Fund, an organization focused on social change, Dreyfous has helped find critical money for Oscar-winning docs like “Born Into Brothels” and “The Cove” as well as Academy nominees including “The Invisible War” and last year’s “The Square.” Now Dreyfous, IDA’s 2013 Amicus Award recipient, is making a splash in the narrative feature market. Last fall, she co-founded Gamechanger Films, the first for-profit film fund aiming to shift the gender disparity in the film marketplace by exclusively financing narrative features directed by women. “There is a market bias when it comes to content being created by women, and that needs to change,” she says. Sony Pictures Classics acquired worldwide rights to Gamechanger’s inaugural film, “Land Ho!,” which premiered at Sundance. Next up on the Gamechanger slate are Karyn Kusama’s “The Invitation” and Jamie Babbit’s “Fresno.”

Channing Dungey & Samie Kim Falvey

Executive VP, Drama Development,
Movies & Miniseries, ABC Entertainment Group

Executive VP, Comedy Development and International Scripted Development, ABC Entertainment Group

The range of comedy and drama voices and faces on ABC’s primetime slate is credit to Dungey and Falvey, whose keen eye for creativity helps them sift through hundreds of pitches and develop series. “It was a great moment for us when we announced our 2014-15 season and it included such a wide range of diverse talent,” Falvey says. “Each show is saying something unique and relatable, and our casts are reflective of today’s world in a way that we’ve never quite seen before.” That’s a sentiment echoed by Dungey, who points to upcoming drama “American Crime.” “Executive producers John Ridley and Michael McDonald are delivering a show that is bold, daring, emotional and honest,” she says. “I’m truly proud that at ABC we support this kind of original storytelling.”

Megan Ellison

Principal, Annapurna Pictures

Three of the films her shingle backed in 2013 — Spike Jonze’s “Her,” David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” and Wong Kar Wai’s ‘The Grandmaster” — nabbed a combined 17 Oscar noms. She also launched a foreign sales arm last year. Ellison tends to work with the cream of the American auteur crop, and Annapurna’s upcoming slate illustrates her consistent taste: Bennett Miller’s “Foxcatcher,” which looks like a strong awards-season contender for distrib Sony Classics; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s “The Revenant,” with Leonardo DiCaprio; “A House in the Sky,” with Rooney Mara also producing and maybe starring; and Richard Linklater’s “That’s What I’m Talking About.”

The Emmys Circle

Anna Gunn, Allison Janney, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Julianna Margulies

“What a wonderful time for women in television,” declared Julianna Margulies (“The Good Wife”), as she claimed her trophy for lead actress in a drama at this year’s Emmys. Indeed, the quartet of actresses who brought home Emmy gold this season — along with the nominees — demonstrate that roles for women are only getting better. Allison Janney (“Mom,” “Masters of Sex”) made history for winning two Emmys in a single season for comedy and drama — she now owns six statues in all. “I’m proud to work in TV,” she told Variety. “Television is a woman’s medium.” Adds Margulies, “We have a long way to go, obviously, but if you look at how many shows are being written for women as their lead character, I would have to say we’ve come a long, long way. Television, unlike film, seems interested in exploring female characters. Women on television have become much more powerful, much more flawed and interesting. Now if we could just get more women behind the scenes — directors, writers, producers — then the future of women in television would seem a lot brighter.” Best actress in a comedy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”) agrees, predicting more than just good roles for women: “Hopefully shoes that make it actually possible to walk.”

Fox Searchlight Trio

Nancy Utley, President; Michelle Hooper Exec VP, Marketing; Claudia Lewis, President, Production

This past year, Utley, Hooper and Lewis continued to take risks with movies, bring auds into the theater and take home awards. most notably with “12 Years a Slave,” which took home the best picture Oscar. Utley says the experience was “very emotional and satisfying.” Hooper adds that a successful Searchlight film has “engaging stories populated with compelling characters that have a unique voice.” Indeed, in the past year, the trio also reeled in “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Birdman” and “Wild.” All three say the collaborative environment at Fox Searchlight is critical to their success. Lewis notes the company’s emphasis on foreign filmmakers is also important. “It’s provocative and gratifying to work with global filmmakers and their resulting different points of views and methodologies,” she says.

Jody Gerson

Co-President, Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Gerson will be leaning on her female role models as she steps into her position as global chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing in January and becomes the first woman to lead a major music publishing company. “I’m inspired by the trailblazers who came before me who paved the way,” says Gerson. “Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Gwen Stefani and Carole King — they embody tremendous female power; (some) are also mothers and at the same time strong businesswomen successfully navigating the complexities of the entertainment business.” Currently co-president of Sony/ATV Publishing, Gerson hopes to continue to discover and develop artists and songwriters worldwide at Universal.

Carol Goll

Partner, Head of Global Branded Entertainment, ICM Partners

Pairing hot talent with luxury brands may sound like a no-brainer, but Goll knows that it’s trickier than it seems. She signed Jaguar Land Rover and structured a deal for its first-ever Super Bowl spot, directed by agency client Tom Hooper; was behind Quvenzhane Wallis becoming the face of Armani Junior; Eminem for Chrysler; and Zoe Saldana for L’Oreal. “What’s really unique is the authenticity and finding that connection between the person and product,” she says, citing the deal for fashion, fragrance and beauty she structured for Megan Fox with Armani, but also Fox’s deal with Acer computers and Activision’s “Call of Duty.” “She’s a big gamer,” says Goll.

Eva Green

Actor

Green’s clairvoyant Vanessa Ives in Showtime’s “Penny Dreadful” is a fearless portrayal of a mysterious woman battling demons — and the series was picked up for another season. Green says playing the powerful medium is a privilege. “All I can say is that (‘Penny Dreadful’ creator/exec producer/writer) John Logan is an absolute genius. All his characters are so complex and conflicted to a point where their humanity is revealed.” She also made her mark in “300: The Rise of an Empire” and was praised in the critically drubbed “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For.” She re-teams with her “Dark Shadows” helmer Tim Burton on “Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.” “Miss Peregrine is the anti-femme fatale. I’m very excited because I’ve never played a character like her before.” She’ll also demonstrate her range as Shailene Woodley’s mother in Gregg Araki’s “White Bird in a Blizzard.”

Lisa Gregorian

President and Chief Marketing Officer, Warner Bros. Television Group

If you’ve ever stood on the floor of Comic-Con, you’ve seen the handiwork of Warner Bros.’ marketing mastermind Gregorian. “Two events that we produced this year truly affected me, both creatively and emotionally,” she says. The first was a Saturday night panel at Comic-Con in Hall H celebrating DC Entertainment TV projects — the largest panel ever. “I couldn’t help but be overcome with emotion seeing our creative talent so humbled and excited to be on stage surrounded by thousands of grateful and adoring fans,” she says. The second was the pop-up replica of Central Perk in New York City, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the premiere of “Friends.” “It’s an amazing, immersive experience for fans and has been covered by media around the world, exemplifying just how culturally important this defining comedy remains two decades later.”

Cindy Holland

VP, Original Content, Netflix

Holland is fiercely loyal to Netflix subscribers, even if that means championing risk-taking programming featuring untested subjects, like its all-female prison series “Orange Is the New Black.” “We are not worried about attracting certain demographics for our originals,” says Holland. “We seek to build a slate that is as diverse and eclectic as the tastes of our over 50 million subscribers. This allows us to be adventurous on behalf of our members.” Holland’s commitment to her subscribers is being recognized by the larger TV community. After just two years of Emmy eligibility, Netflix original programming nabbed 31 Emmy nominations and seven Emmy wins in August. Upcoming series for Netflix include the Weinstein Co.’s historical drama “Marco Polo” and Marvel’s live-action series “Daredevil.”

Lindsay Howard

VP, Television/Literary, APA

Howard thrives on discovering voices with a point of view. Her client Nick Bakay went from staffer to co-showrunner and exec producer on new hit series “Mom,” while Jill Blotevogel is showrunner and exec producer
on MTV and the Weinstein Co.’s “Scream”; Vijal Patel (“The Middle”) reupped his ABC deal and now serves as co-exec producer on “Black-ish,” which preemed to strong numbers on Sept. 25 for the Alphabet net; while Jeffrey Lippman landed as co-exec producer on new NBC series “The Mysteries of Laura.” “It’s an ever-changing business and you have to adapt,” she says. “One of the things I love best is to become a creative partner, and collaborations” with clients.

Erica Huggins

President, Imagine Entertainment

Huggins is a fighter, which is serving her well in today’s challenging theatrical landscape. She, along with Imagine chairmen Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, muscled their way through the explosions, monsters and superheroes this summer to deliver James Brown biopic “Get on Up.” “Getting a movie like ‘Get on Up’ made in this environment, which was the first project given to me when I first came to Imagine (10 years ago), that was a big moment,” Huggins says. She is looking forward to shepherding production on the film adaptation of Anne Rice’s bestselling “The Vampire Chronicles” series for Universal, describing it as “our own kind of superhero movie,” as well as a passel of other projects at studios around town.

Cheryl Boone Isaacs

President, Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences

Boone Isaacs says she’s particularly proud of the March 2 Oscarcast, which earned its highest ratings in 14 years. But to observers, her biggest accomplishment was her Aug. 5 re-election as prexy. In 2013, she became only the third woman and first African-American to hold the post. That was a show of faith, but her reelection is arguably more significant, since it’s a validation that she’s done well in the past year. “I am very humbled,” she says. “It’s very gratifying and I appreciate the support. I think very highly of the Academy.”

Angelina Jolie

Actor-Filmmaker

The Jolie starrer “Maleficent” has earned more than $700 million worldwide for Disney, making it the biggest live-action hit of her career. But the thesp admits her heart is behind the camera. “There is something about the work of a director that is very nurturing,” Jolie says. Universal’s “Unbroken,” which Jolie directed and produced, will open on Dec. 25. Jolie is now directing U’s “By the Sea,” which she wrote and also stars in opposite husband Brad Pitt, and was just tapped to direct “Africa” for Skydance Prods. from a script by Eric Roth. Jolie is hopeful about more women taking the helming reins in Hollywood. “I think the industry would benefit from more women in senior roles … but for me personally, it is very important that my work is judged on its merits, not seen first and foremost as the work of a ‘female’ director, as if that is its defining feature.”

Michelle Jubelirer

Exec VP, Capitol Music Group

In her year and a half at Capitol Music Group, Jubelirer seems be confident that the newly created mini-major (which encompasses Capitol, Motown, Virgin, Blue Note and Caroline, among other labels) is on the right track. “We walked into a company that had one current platinum-selling artist in Katy Perry, and thank God for Katy Perry,” Jubelirer says. “So we had to somewhat start fresh in the artist community.” Jubelirer points to recent successes such as Sam Smith, Bastille and 5 Seconds of Summer as having “allowed us to be on the map and give us the momentum we need to be in every signing derby.” If that might sound like a modest accomplishment, Jubelirer’s goals are anything but. “When (CEO) Steve Barnett and I and the rest of the executive team came here, Capitol was No. 8 in current marketshare and No. 6 in overall marketshare,” she says. “As of now, we’re No. 2 in both. As of next year, we’d like to be No. 1.”

Roma Khanna

President, Television Group & Digital, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios

In just three years, Khanna and her team at MGM Television have turned the studio’s blank slate into a growing roster of successful and critically praised shows for FX, History, MTV and firstrun syndication. “We’re so proud of ‘Fargo,’ ‘Vikings,’ ‘Teen Wolf’ and the other shows, but it really just feels like the beginning,” Khanna says, noting that “Fargo” was the first project the new team put together from development to delivery. “We have development projects in the works with almost every network on the street, and we’re excited about that. The bottom line is we have very big ambitions, and we’re only just getting started. There’s so much more to come.”

Jennifer Lee

Director-Writer-Actress

Lee’s debut as an animation co-director was a doozy: “Frozen” is the highest-grossing animated film ever and one that has won prize after prize including the toon Oscar earlier this year. Talking of breaking the animated glass ceiling, she told Variety in an earlier interview, “I think animation is almost ahead of the curve. I’ve seen it because there is just so much up-and-coming talent here.” She came to Disney to work on the screenplay of “Wreck-It Ralph” and was asked to stay on to write “Frozen,” which she co-directed with Chris Buck. Lee’s next assignment is adapting Madeleine L’Engle’s beloved “A Wrinkle in Time,” although no director has been set for the film yet. She is also working with Disney Animation on its other projects.

Tanya Lopez

Senior VP, Original Movies, Lifetime

Lopez ushered in a new era at the network when in July, the cabler, which produces more original movies than any other network, earned a record 17 Emmy noms. Lopez says Lifetime films stand out because they “start with a concept that breaks through the clutter.” They also tap into viewers’ nostalgia — bringing V.C. Andrews’ bestselling series “Flowers in the Attic” and crime couple “Bonnie & Clyde” to life. Under Lopez’s leadership, Lifetime also launched its feature film division. “Lifetime just outpaces the industry in the employment of women,” she says, both onscreen and behind the scenes.

Jacqueline Lyanga

Director, AFI Fest

As the eyes over AFI Fest, Jacqueline Lyanga takes in the event from a unique position. Not only does she enjoy the dialogue she gets to engage in with creators and artists, but she gets to bring that work to an audience. “It’s an incredible job and year-long journey of art and operations,” she says, “to contextualize what we love about specific films and filmmakers with so many people and collaborate with the artists on the presentation of their work.”

Julie McNamara

Exec VP, Drama Development, Broadcast & Cable Programming, CBS Television Studios

Despite successes like “The Good Wife,” “Elementary” and “Reign,” McNamara continues expanding the CBS Studio brand outside CBS, Showtime and the CW through deals with networks including Starz and ABC Family. “The Good Wife” co-creators are working with her yet again. “We have a new project with Robert and Michelle King,” she says. “They’re brilliant and working with them is a joy.” McNamara’s secret for staying engaged with her job is simple. “Lead with your heart,” she says. “After 20 development seasons, I still look forward to falling in love with a writer’s vision.”

Christina Miller

President/G.M., Cartoon Network, Adult Swim and Boomerang

Prior to assuming her role this summer, Miller was an exec at Turner Sports. “I’m proud to have been a part of Turner Sports and to have played a role in the success it’s had. There’s a great culture of collaboration and innovation that has been fostered within that group that has produced really outstanding results, from the growth of NBA Digital and Turner’s partnership with the NBA to the creativity we brought to the partnership with CBS and NCAA March Madness.” In her new position, she’s excited about Adult Swim and Cartoon Network originals, a global re-launch of Boomerang, and the CN Anything digital app.

Courteney Monroe

CEO, National Geographic Channels

The recently promoted Monroe is now responsible for everything on National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild, networks that encompass some of the smartest shows and specials on TV, including the popular family show, “Brain Games.” Monroe’s excited about the Emmy-nominated show’s new season. “It promises to be better than ever, and there’s no other show like it on television. I love watching it with my kids,” she says. Perhaps that’s because of her guiding principle: “Surround yourself with people who are smarter and more capable than you, and insist they always give you their honest opinion.”

Bela Bajaria

Exec VP, Universal Television

Three years ago, Bajaria was brought in to rebuild the studio, and is proud of what her team has accomplished in that short time. “We now have 24 shows on broadcast, cable and streaming,” she says. That includes “The Mindy Project,” “Chicago Fire” and “Bates Motel.” Bajaria can’t conceal her excitement about upcoming comedies and dramas. “We have a really strong slate launching in the fall and also mid-season.”

Pearlena Igbokwe

Exec VP, Drama Programming, NBC Entertainment

These days, being a programming executive at NBC, or any broadcast network, is a challenge, but it’s one Igbokwe met head-on by delivering NBC’s first hit drama in several years. “My biggest professional accomplishment of the past year was developing and helping to launch ‘The Blacklist,’ the No. 1 new network drama series of last season,” she says. “In a time where we’re seeing very low live-plus same-day ratings numbers, it’s great to know that we were capable of launching a big hit show.”

Jen Salke

President, NBC Entertainment

Trusting people is the cornerstone of Salke’s success. “My leadership philosophy is to hire the very best people and let them do their jobs,” Salke says. “As a manager, I believe in hard work, following one’s creative gut instinct with passion, and not sweating the small stuff.” Her professional investment in people is paying off. NBC’s ratings are steadily improving, drawing new and former viewers to shows like “The Voice” and “The Blacklist.” Salke makes a point to express pride in her team. “We’re a group of hard-working, passionate, caring executives who are constantly challenging ourselves to be even better.”

Lupita Nyong’o

Actor

Nyong’o burst onto the international scene with her role as slave Patsey in “12 Years a Slave,” for which she won a supporting actress Oscar. She quickly followed that with hit “Non-Stop,” starring Liam Neeson, and polished her image as a fashion icon with a July Vogue cover. Cosmetics giant Lancome also announced that the 2012 Yale School of Drama graduate would be the company’s first-ever black ambassador and face of the brand. The thesp grabbed a coveted role in J.J. Abrams’ “Star Wars: Episode VII” and is part of the voice cast of Jon Favreau’s “The Jungle Book.” Next up? Nyong’o will star in and be a producer on “Americanah.”

Kirsten Niehuus

Managing Director, Medienboard

Berlin-Brandenburg The German film funding and media biz development org celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, with Niehuus guiding investments in films from “Inglourious Basterds” to “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg had six films in the Cannes festival, and a healthy contingent at the Toronto festival. “During the last 10 years, Berlin-Brandenburg has become the most important hub for national and international film production in Germany,” says Niehuus via email. “It is always an amazing feeling to see a film on screen for the first time and sense that it could be the winner of a Bear or a Palme or … the heart of the audience.”

Orange is the New Black

Uzo Aduba, Laverne Cox, Natasha Lyonne, Kate Mulgrew, Taylor Schilling

Netflix original series “Orange Is the New Black” netted 12 Emmy nominations, including comedy series, a directing nomination for Jodie Foster, and a shared writing nod for Liz Friedman and series creator Jenji Kohan. Taylor Schilling (who also gained notice in indie “Stay” and has “The Overnight” with Jason Schwartzman in post) was nominated as a lead actress, Kate Mulgrew as a supporting actress, but the cast dominated the guest actress in a comedy category with Natasha Lyonne, Laverne Cox and Uzo Aduba all receiving nominations. Aduba won, but it was Cox who made history as the first transgender woman ever nominated for an Emmy. Cox can’t quite wrap her head around the idea of being a role model, but is putting the attention to good use as exec producer/host of “Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word,” a documentary airing Oct. 17 on MTV. “It looks at the stories of seven trans youths from the ages of 12-24, and the unique challenges they face being trans and young people,” she says. “I’m so proud of all of them for their bravery and honesty in letting us into their lives.” Cox also has guest roles coming up on MTV’s “Faking It” and Bravo’s “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce.”

Gigi Pritzker

Producer, OddLot Entertainment

Last year saw Pritzker’s OddLott bring “Ender’s Game” and “The Way Way Back” to the screen, and 2014 looks strong with Jon Stewart’s directorial debut, “Rosewater,” a risk she took on the rookie helmer, best known for hosting “The Daily Show.” “She was always incredibly supportive,” he says. Also on her slate is Johnny Depp comedy “Mortdecai” as well as a handful of high-profile projects. She also joined with producer Robert Simonds to team with private equity giant TPG and China’s Hony Capital on a production venture that aims to generate as many as 10 movies a year.

Keri Putnam & Michelle Satter

Exec Director, Sundance Institute

Director, Feature Film Program, Sundance Institute

International initiatives include the Rawi Middle East Screenwriters Lab and the screening series Sundance Film Festival — Hong Kong Selects. For the last three years the institute and Women in Film Los Angeles have collaborated on a study examining gender disparity in American independent film. “We have not approached (this issue) from the point of view of outcome,” says Putnam. “It is not about quotas or outcome, it’s about thinking more purposefully about (the gender issue) that has resulted in progress.” This year, along with Hong Kong Selects and Next Fest — a film and music program — the institute launched the Episodic Story Lab. “There is such great, bold writing and voice in series television,” Satter says. “So it felt like a very natural (step) to take.”

Elsa Ramo

Founding Partner, Ramo Law

Ramo launched her firm in 2005, and handles TV and digital content (MTV, Netflix, Hulu), but it’s indie film in which she’s made her mark. With four films bowing at the recent Toronto film festival — “Boychoir,” “Learning to Drive,” “Still Alice” and “Spring” — plus other projects including Working Title’s “We Are Your Friends,” starring Zac Efron; John Krasinski’s “The Hollars,” starring Anna Kendrick; and shingles such as Informant Media and QED Intl. that rely on her firm’s expertise, Ramo found she was so busy that “my firm has doubled in size in the last year.” There are now eight attorneys (mostly women) and a full-time packaging exec.

Amy Retzinger

Verve Partner, Head of TV

Retzinger has made a career working with women directors, although she didn’t consciously seek them out. “I do think there is something specifically difficult for female directors,” she says. “A lot of the qualities that make a good director, or a good agent, like assertiveness” are traits that are more connected to males. But despite the perception, her clients, who include Kimberly Peirce, Wendey Stanzler, Jennifer Getzinger, Daisy Mayer, Larysa Kondracki, Tamra Davis and Hanelle Culpepper, smash that myth. Her roster also includes Colin Bucksey, who won an Emmy in August for directing “Fargo.” Nearly half the agents at Verve are female, unusual for tenpercenters. But she doesn’t only work with femmes. Retzinger found a niche for herself at Gersh getting TV directing gigs for feature film helmers. “It’s not easy to break into TV,” she says. Network execs are not always familiar with up-and-coming indie helmers. “They don’t go to Sundance.”

Sonya Rosenfeld

Co-Head, Television Dept., CAA

In the past year, CAA’s TV department has staffed more writers on series, more directors in pilots and has more series packages on air than any other agency. As CAA’s most senior female television agent, Rosenfeld has been key to putting series such as “The Americans,” “Masters of Sex” and “Elementary” on the air. “We have always prided ourselves on being an incredibly collaborative company,” she says, “and the combination of having really smart and talented agents here working together for the clients is where the success comes from.” Her clients range from Sarah Timberman and Carl Beverly, Graham Yost, Pam Veasey, Clyde Phillips to Lisa Kudrow, Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone. She adds that her husband, Michael, also a CAA TV agent, “is such a great partner and dad.”

Rohana Rozhan

CEO, Astro Malaysia Holdings Berhad

Malaysian media giant Astro reaches its 3.8 million customers via 171 TV channels on
every platform and is also a huge regional producer and commissioner of content, dominating a fast-growing market. Rozhan sees growth in the future, but making sure it’s inclusive. “Astro is the poster child for diversity in the region,” she says via email. “Like many blue-chip organizations, we believe in equal opportunity — we do not favor but appoint the best person for the job.” More than half the staff is women, and Astro leads in the region for hiring women in management. She adds that Astro is also committed to telling stories where femmes are depicted as strong, brave and smart. “Storytelling and role models are key in (building) social norms and in encouraging more women to try to ‘have it all.’ Only then will real, imagined and self imposed barriers fall away.”

Zoe Saldana

Actor

2014 was a busy one for Saldana. The “Star Trek” star closed a deal to return for the next three installments of the “Avatar” franchise, while she starred in and produced NBC’s four-hour miniseries, “Rosemary’s Baby,” which aired in May. Late summer belonged to the “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which earned $633 million worldwide, making “Guardians” the highest grossing film of the year in the U.S. And her star keeps rising: Marvel has slated the “Guardians of the Galaxy” sequel for July 28, 2017, “Star Trek 3” is set for 2016 along with “Avatar 2.” With all the glittering blockbusters on her resume, it’s easy to forget her acclaimed work in the Sundance hit “Infinitely Polar Bear,” from Maya Forbes. “I think it’s very important that we support women in film and the arts. It’s imperative. Whenever you have that opportunity of reading a script that’s very well written by a woman and she is going to direct it and she wants me to be a part of it — I will cancel other things to work with that female because I owe it to myself as a woman to do so.”

Sarah Self

WME Partner and Motion Picture Agent

Independent thinkers do well with Self: Damien Chazelle spent the year gaining momentum with his film “Whiplash,” and the same can be said of Jim Mickle (“Cold in July”), while Diablo Cody, John Krasinski, Jason Moore and Ryan Reynolds are all busy with projects that are burnishing their multihyphenate cred. “For a lot of these artists, the way for them to be in charge of creating their narrative is to take the reins of their projects, and not though the studios,” says Self, who also landed Selena Gomez this year. “If the marketplace continues to evolve, the artists have to as well,” she says noting that her clients are entrepreneurial. “I encourage them to think out of the box.”

Sia

Singer

A welcome alternative to the cult of personality that threatens to swallow pop music whole, 38-year-old Aussie Sia Furler has managed to exert an outsized dominance over the airwaves from well behind the curtain. Though she didn’t become a verifiable chart-topping star in this country until the past few years, her sound has been all over the radio for years before.

After putting her solo career on hiatus at the beginning of the decade, Sia kept busy writing and collaborating with everyone from Britney Spears to Eminem, Maroon 5 and Kylie Minogue as well as recording multiple singles with Franco EDM vet David Guetta. Finally emerging onto center stage, Sia finally notched her first Top 10 single as a solo artist with last spring’s “Chandelier,” following that up with her first No. 1 album, July’s RCA release “1000 Forms of Fear.”

Molly Smith

Producer, Black Label Media

Smith’s private equity film-financing shingle bowed its first production, “The Good Lie,” starring Reese Witherspoon, at the recent Toronto fest. Other Black Label pics include “Begin Again”; “Sicario,” a CIA thriller with Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin from Denis Villeneuve (set for release via Lionsgate in 2015); and Wall Street drama “Demolition” with Jake Gyllenhaal and Naomi Watts, directed by Jean-Marc Vallee. “You’re not dealing with a corporation,” Villeneuve says. “You’re dealing with one person. I have direct contact with Molly.”

Sandra Stern

COO, Lionsgate Television Group

With 31 shows on 20 networks, five nationally syndicated series, and a breakout hit in the digital space, Stern’s having a great year. She’s especially proud of how “Orange Is the New Black,” helped define Netflix. “It was the first foray for Lionsgate in producing for a digital player, and it was scary,” she says. Matching the right properties to the right network, or distributor, is the studio’s strength. She believes “Manhattan” will do for WGN America what “Mad Men” did for AMC. “With both of those networks we had management partners who understood they needed us to help sell their network, not simply sell their show.” Next up: Delivering E!’s first scripted drama, “The Royals.”

Trish Summerville

Costume Designer

For Summerville, the past 12 months have been the busiest in her 15-year career. Her work on “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,” in which she styled more than 5,000 extras in addition to principal cast members, earned her a Costume Designers Guild award. Working with Jonathan Nolan on HBO’s “Westworld,” Summerville is concerned about audiences’ reaction to her latest collaboration with David Fincher on “Gone Girl.” (Summerville previously collaborated with director on “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” and “The Game.”) “When doing something contemporary everyone has an opinion of what it should be, which can be quite tricky,” she says. But Summerville was grateful for the challenge. “For me it wasn’t hard to get into the industry as a woman, it was just hard getting in and being given an opportunity. That’s why I’m so grateful to (Fincher). He saw something in me and gave me the opportunity to do ‘Dragon,’ which changed my life.”

Donna Tartt

Author

The Pulitzer Prizing-winning author of “The Goldfinch” has only three books to her name, which is two more than those other two reclusive Southern novelists Margaret Mitchell and Harper Lee. Named one of Time mag’s 100 most influential people, Tartt prefers to let her books do her talking for her. In a rare interview with the New York Times, she said as a child she took inspiration from images to write stories. “The Goldfinch” is a throwback to that, centering around the Carel Fabritius painting. “The Goldfinch,” which has been on the New York Times bestseller list since it came out last year, has been acquired by Warner Bros. and Brett Ratner’s RatPac as a movie property. Tartt’s other two books are 1992’s “The Secret History” (which sold 5 million copies and was translated into several languages) and 2002’s “The Little Friend.”

Nina Tassler

Chairman, CBS Entertainment

As the longest-running entertainment head (she’s held her post since 2004), Tassler cemented her legacy with a promotion to chairman in February. Small wonder: With TV’s top drama “NCIS,” top comedy “The Big Bang Theory,” and the critically acclaimed “The Good Wife,” she has a primetime lineup to be proud of. Her biggest accomplishment of the past year is “working with the amazing creative talent on our sets and the strategic minds in our halls to deliver another season as ‘America’s Most Watched Network,’ ” Tassler says. “It’s still about delivering the highest-quality shows that entertain the most amount of viewers.”

Sarah Timberman

Executive Producer

Despite having series on broadcast, cable and premium networks, Timberman says spotting the series potential in Tom Maier’s biography of William Masters and Virginia Johnson and helping launch “Masters of Sex” on Showtime was a career highlight. “The making of this one stands as a reminder, for me, of how invigorating and also a little scary it is to work on something that isn’t quite like anything else,” she says. Timberman, whose credits also include “Justified,” “Elementary” “The Odd Couple” and “Unforgettable,” isn’t resting on her laurels. “I’m honored to be working with Mary Karr and Mary-Louise Parker on a project based on Mary Karr’s life, and on her gripping, gorgeously written memoirs, ‘The Liars Club’ and ‘Lit.’ ” She stresses the importance of finding people you love and admire with whom to work. “I’ve worked with my partner, Carl Beverly, for over 15 years, and with writer and longtime friend, Michelle Ashford, for almost 20.”

Jenno Topping

President of Film, Chernin Ent.

Chernin Entertainment produces movies of all genres and budgets, and Topping wouldn’t have it any other way. When CEO Peter Chernin started the company, “People were asking what is your brand? And he’d say why would I limit myself?” she recalls. Topping, promoted to her position in February 2013, says, “We are doing something a little more interesting and risky — keeping it eclectic.” She and her team’s love of contrast is succeeding, with blockbuster release “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and Bill Murray starrer “St. Vincent,” which will be released by the Weinstein Co. and picked up awards buzz at Toronto, as recent credits. The variety continues for Topping with spooky book adaptation “Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children,” with Tim Burton directing.

Claudia Triana

Director of Proimagenes Colombia

Triana oversees the Colombian Film Commission and the national film fund. Since taking up the helm in 1998, she has played a pivotal role in establishing and promoting Colombia’s national film production. She was involved in the drafting of the 2003 national film law and the new film incentive package last year that offers a 40% cash rebate on qualified local spend and a 20% cash rebate on logistical expenditures for international film and TV movie productions shooting in Colombia. The first film to take advantage of the incentives was “The 33,” the feature based on the 2010 rescue of 33 Chilean miners starring Antonio Banderas. “My greatest strength has been to take up seemingly impossible causes and rally the support of both public and private entities towards a common goal,” says Triana.

Dana Walden

Chairman and CEO,
Fox Television Group

Being tapped as chairman and CEO (along with Gary Newman) of the newly formed Fox Television Group puts Walden atop both the studio and the network. With a reputation for developing genre-defining shows like “Modern Family,” “Bones” and “Sons of Anarchy,” last year Walden delivered one of the few true new hits to broadcast TV, “Sleepy Hollow.” Two cable shows, WGN America’s “Salem” and FX’s “Tyrant,” were both renewed. She played a pivotal role in one of the biggest deals in TV history: selling all 25 seasons of “The Simpsons” to FXX. Walden is also a leader in developing more inclusive network series with new shows like “Cristela,” “Empire” and “Fresh Off the Boat.”

Allison Wallach

Agent, Alternative Television, UTA

Wallach began her career as a buyer — and that perspective has informed her agenting career. “For me, starting as a development exec, I was nervous that I wasn’t a salesman, but I built a client list because I believe in their programs,” she says. Among her many deals and clients, she worked with Tom Forman and Relativity Real to help set up 20 new series, including “Sex Box” at WEtv based on the format — aired in the U.K. — created by her clients Clearstory. Her clients Love Prods., the U.K. shingle behind ratings phenomenon “Great British Bakeoff,” recently sold a controlling interest in their company to Sky Networks in the U.K.; she helped them set up three U.K. formats in development at various cable networks including TNT and A&E. Most recently, one project was picked up to pilot at CBS tentatively titled “The Politician.” TV execs are looking for “noisy titles,” she says, “something with a hook, looking for big characters, looking for shows that are self starters … to stand out in a landscape that is beyond cluttered.”

Fran Walsh

Screenwriter

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” was the fourth-highest grossing film of 2013, with a whopping $958 million globally. It’s the latest accomplishment for Walsh, a co-writer and producer of the epic. The December bow of “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” marks the culmination of a six-film, 17-year journey with J.R.R. Tolkien works. Though most media attention has gone to Peter Jackson — and Walsh modestly avoids the spotlight — colleagues confirm her crucial contributions to the films. Oscar agrees: Walsh has won Academy Awards in three categories, with seven noms overall.

Emma Watts & Elizabeth Gabler

President, Fox 2000

President of Production, 20th Century Fox

In the last year, Gabler oversaw the adaptation of John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars,” which made $302 million worldwide. Next up: She’s the exec on “St. James Place,” directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Tom Hanks (partnered with Disney/Dreamworks); and overseeing the next Green adaptation, “Paper Towns.” Watts has reason to celebrate, after “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” and “X-Men: Days of Future Past” helped push the studio to $4 billion worldwide and counting. “Relentless commitment to not settling” are the ingredients for successful films, she notes. “Helping create the team and the circumstances that allow filmmakers to do their best work” is what she loves about her job.

Susan Wojcicki

CEO, YouTube

Wojcicki is leading an incredibly powerful company, currently valued at about $20 billion. But she is eager to push the company to new heights, since being promoted to her position in February 2014. One key goal is to continue to raise the profile of YouTube talent, whose videos currently attract 1 billion viewers and reach more adults aged 18-34 than any cable network. “YouTube is just getting started,” says Wojcicki. “In terms of YouTube talent, we know that creators are essential to our platform so we want to continue to invest in them. We’ve done a lot of promotion of YouTube talent this year using traditional media. But we can do more.” She explains that YouTube has re-committed to funding its content creators, and is making it easier for traditional TV advertisers to support their work.

Shailene Woodley

Actor

This year, Woodley joined an exclusive group of actresses whose career got a serious boost from starring adaptations of YA novels when “Divergent,” adapted from Veronica Roth’s hit book series, generated $286 worldwide, and “The Fault in Our Stars,” from John Green’s bestseller, outperformed forecasts by bringing in more than $300 million worldwide.

“I love being thought of as a symbol of female empowerment at the age of 22,” she told Variety at the premiere of “Divergent.” The second film in the trilogy, “Insurgent,” hits theaters in March, with the last book, “Allegiant,” split into two films that open in 2016 and 2017, respectively. She has most certainly been through a startling three years, dating back to shooting “The Descendants” opposite George Clooney. “I was an adolescent when I did (that film). It was so long ago. I feel like a woman now.”

Sharon Tal Yguado

Exec VP, Scripted Programming & Original Development, Fox Intl. Channels

Being the international partner of “The Walking Dead,” Yguado says, “shapes our editorial direction in looking for other projects. It really drove us to do original development inhouse.” That relationship also led to the studio landing Robert Kirkman’s new series, “Outcast.” “I’m proud of the process,” Yguado says. “We allowed Robert to write inhouse, to come up with a project he’s really excited about, finding a home that’s the perfect fit for it (Cinemax), and moving into production, which is going forward really smoothly.” Upcoming projects include U.S. development of Israel-based format powerhouse Keshet’s new show “False Flag. ”