Patricia Sellers

Pattie Sellers’ career in business journalism began in the early 1980s, after graduating from the University of Virginia. Her first professional role was at The Washington Business Journal between 1982 and 1984. She later joined Fortune magazine, where she became a senior editor at large. In the late 1990s, Sellers was a key figure in the creation of Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women rankings and the related annual summit. The inaugural Most Powerful Women cover featured Carly Fiorina. Sellers has been pivotal in advancing the conversation around women in leadership and business.

Throughout her three-decade tenure at Fortune, Sellers extensively covered various business leaders and trends. She has conducted interviews with figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffett, Martha Stewart, and Darla Moore. Notably, Sellers was instrumental in featuring Darla Moore on the cover of Fortune in 1997, marking the first time a woman appeared on the magazine’s cover. In 2016, after 32 years with Fortune magazine, she co-founded SellersEaston Media with Nina Easton, a content creation company focused on storytelling. She also co-founded JOURNEY, an organization dedicated to leadership development.

Sellers has observed the evolution of women’s roles in corporate America, noting the increase from one female Fortune 500 CEO in 1998 to 25 in 2014, while acknowledging the continued need for greater representation. Her work has focused on the criteria for powerful women, including business size and influence, career trajectory, and social impact. She continues to contribute to discussions on business, media, and leadership, sharing insights on career development and the landscape for women entrepreneurs.