Ursula Burns started her internship at the American Xerox company right after obtaining a master’s degree from the New York University Tandon School of Engineering. The company noticed the young woman’s ambition and hired her as an assistant. Yet by the age of 32, she still held only junior posts.

All her diligence was rewarded 10 years later: first, Ursula was promoted to vice president for global manufacturing, and now she serves as chairwoman of the company.