See where these leaders got their start
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Steve Bartlett
President and CEO
Financial Services Roundtable
First Job: Working in a small hospital
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Rick Berman
President
Berman and Company
First Job: Newspaper boy
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Monte Black
CEO and Chairman
MPW Industrial Services Group
First Job: Washing trucks
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Tony Blankley
Executive Vice President
Edelman
Formerly: Editorial Editor, Washington Times Newspaper
First Job: Acting in a television commercial
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Sheila Brooks
President and CEO
SRB Productions
First Job: Summer assistant at a library
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Daniel Burnham
Retired Chairman and CEO
Raytheon Company
First Job: Budget Analyst
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Colonel Barett Byrd, USMC (Ret.)
Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Gould and Associates, Inc.
First Job: Veterinary Assistant
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Elaine Chao
Former Secretary
US Department of Labor
First Job: Summer Assistant at a law firm
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John Connelly
Founding Partner
Baldwin Connelly Group
Formerly: President and Owner, Connelly Insurance Group, Inc.
First Job: Newspaper Delivery
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Carrie Cox
Board Member
Board of Cardinal Health
Formerly: EVP & President, Global Pharmaceuticals, Schering-Plough Corporation
First Job: Pharmaceutical assistant
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John Dasburg
Chairman, CEO and President
ASTAR Air Cargo
First Job: Mowing lawns
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Michael Dell
Chairman
Dell, Inc.
First Job: Newspaper Subscription Sales
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Deborah Deras
Co-Founder and President
Synergy Unlimited
First Job: Cashier at Target
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Alice Elliott
CEO
The Elliot Group
First Job: Administrative Assistant for clothing factory
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Mallory Factor
Chairman
Mallory Factor, Inc.
Formerly: Chairman, Free Enterprise Fund
First Job: Selling custom imprinted pens and calendars to small businesses
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Jan Fields
President
McDonald's USA
First Job: Crew Member
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Al From
Founder and CEO
Democratic Leadership Council
First Job: Writing box scores for football and basketball for the South Bend Tribune
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J.R. Gonzales
President and CEO
JRG Communications
First Job: Grocery Store Cashier
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Warren Hardie
President
Brunswick Bowling Retail
First Job: Making drill sample boards for a geologist
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Jan Jones
SVP, Communications and Gov't
Harrah's Entertainment
Formerly: Mayor, City of Las Vegas, 1991-1999
First Job: Supermarket Cashier
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Mabel Katz
President
Your Business Incorporated
First Job: Bookkeeper
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General P.X. Kelley, USMC (Ret.)
28th Commandant
US Marine Corps
Formerly: Vice Chairman Emeritus, Cassidy and Associates
First Job: Life Guard
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Rob Kennedy
Co-President and co-chief operating officer
C-SPAN
First Job: Newspaper boy
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Jonathan Lillard, D.D.S., F.A.A.I.D.
Owner
Jonathan F. Lillard, DDS, Ltd.
First Job: Sold greeting cards door-to-door
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Harvey Mackay
Chairman
MackayMitchell Envelope Company
First Job: Newspaper delivery
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Bill Margaritis
VP, Worldwide Communications & Investor Relations
FedEx
First Job: Caddy at a golf course
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Sean McDermott
President, CEO and Founder
RealOps
Formerly: Founder, Windward Consulting Group
First Job: Pizza Cook
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George McGovern
Former Senator
South Dakota
First Job: Mowing lawns and doing yardwork for neighbors
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Mack McLarty
President
Kissinger McLarty Associates
Formerly: Chief of Staff, President Bill Clinton, 1993-1994
First Job: Operations Manager for McLarty Leasing Systems
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Doug McMillon
EVP, President and CEO
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Formerly: Sam's Club, President and CEO
First Job: Unloading Wal-Mart Trailers
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Michael Morris
Chairman, President & CEO
American Electric Power
First Job: Newspaper boy
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Marianna Olszewski
Founder and CEO
Madison Financial Management
First Job: Paper Route
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Clarence Otis, Jr.
CEO
Darden Restaurants
First Job: Restaurant Server
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David Pena, Jr.
Sr. Director of Programs
Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and
Formerly: Executive Director, National Hispanic Business Association
First Job: Farm Worker
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Dave Pfanzelter
President
Kellogg's Specialty Channels Division
First Job: Supermarket Bag Boy
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T. Boone Pickens
CEO
BP Capital
First Job: Newspaper Boy
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Jose Plascencia
Vice President
California State Automobile Association
Formerly: President, Central California Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
First Job: Laborer for a produce packinghouse
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David Porter
Corporate VP of Retail Stores
Microsoft
Formerly: Vice President/Divisional Merchandise Manager, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
First Job: Wal-Mart Custodian
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Donald Powell
Director
Bank of America, Corp.
Formerly: Former Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
First Job: Ride operator at an amusement park
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Julian Ranger
Founder
J Ranger Ltd
First Job: Farm Laborer
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Peggy Renken Hudson
Vice Preident, Federal and International Affairs
BP America, Inc.
First Job: Credit Report Reader for the Charleston Credit Bureau
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Martin Ringlein
CEO
nclud, LLC
First Job: Newspaper delivery
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Richard Schubert
Chairman Emeritus
International Youth Foundation
Formerly: Former President, American Red Cross
First Job: I delivered newspapers and also worked at a gas station.
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Jack Schuessler
Former Chairman, President and CEO
Wendy's International
First Job: Loading boxes in a factory
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Robert Shapiro
Co-Founder and Chairman
Sonecon, LLC
Formerly: Undersecretary, US Department of Commerce, 1998-2001
First Job: Research Assistant in a think tank
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Susan Story
President and CEO
Gulf Power Company
First Job: Society Page writer for a local newspaper
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Chris Sullivan
Co-founder and Chairman
Outback Steakhouse
First Job: Newspaper boy
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Larry Thompson
SVP, General Counsel and Secretary
PepsiCo, Inc.
First Job: Labor Relations Representative
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Carl Vogt
Director
American Science Engineering, Inc.
Formerly: Chairman, National Transportation Safety Board, 1992-1994
First Job: Demolition crew for abandoned farm property
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Al Weiss
President of Worldwide Operations
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
First Job: McDonald's Crew Member
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William Zollars
Chairman, President and CEO
Yellow Roadway Corporation
First Job: Sales Forecaster for Eastman-Kodak