41. Vicky Free

CMO/EVP, Marketing, BET Networks

So where did BET’s successful We Got You! Campaign come from? That’s largely the vision of Free, whose tireless work to refine the network’s image and foster a stronger connection with its audience is paying off. She also helped launch the Black Media Matters consortium, a group of 30-plus companies that help educate marketers on the power and importance of black media and consumers. “Diversity equals difference. Different ideas, cultures, backgrounds and perspectives create an environment ripe with creative tension and limitless thinking that can ignite winning business strategies,” she says.