Story highlights
Marissa Mayer was Google's first female engineer and one of its first 20 hires
She now oversees the company's push into maps and localization
Her advice: Work somewhere you feel comfortable, then get out of your comfort zone
Google “Marissa Mayer” and the first key words that come up are “net worth” and “salary” – terms that reflect her fame as one of the world’s most powerful women.
Mayer joined internet giant Google as a 24-year-old in 1999; one of the company’s first 20 hires and its first female engineer. In 2010, she moved from heading up Search Products and User Experience to become VP of Local, Maps and Localization Services, the company’s next key growth area.
Mayer prides herself on being able to pick trends, both on and offline. “Back in about 2003, I correctly called cupcakes as a major trend. It was a business prediction, but it’s been widely interpreted as [that] I just like them. (Truth is, there’s other sweets I like far more, like vanilla fudge).”