In September,聽贵辞谤迟耻苍别听named Karen Lynch 鈥�84 to its list of the聽聽for 2017. When she was promoted in 2015, Lynch became the first female president of Aetna in the 160-year history of the health insurance company.
This is not her first time on the聽Fortune聽list. Lynch ranked #26 in 2016, and has moved up to #21 this year. Nor is that the only honor roll she appears in. Lynch was also named one of this year鈥檚聽听产测听Modern Healthcare.
But as proud as she is of her trailblazing role, 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get here by myself,鈥� Lynch said in an interview with the聽. She had inspiration from the aunt who raised her and her three siblings after their mother committed suicide when Lynch was 12.
鈥淢y aunt grew up in the Depression,鈥� she told Furst. 鈥淗er parents came over from Poland. They were ailing, and she took care of them. She worked in a factory her entire life. Her husband passed away early on. She took care of her only son, and then she took on the responsibility of all four of us.鈥�
Her aunt鈥檚 example gave Lynch the resilience and strength she鈥檚 drawn upon to climb the healthcare ladder. She now oversees Aetna鈥檚 commercial, government, and specialty businesses, which together make up 95 percent of the company鈥檚 revenues. She also learned from her aunt 鈥渢he importance of giving back,鈥� said Lynch, who is active in charitable causes such as the聽, which works to educate the public on mental health issues.
Incidentally, Lynch is not the only Eagle on the聽贵辞谤迟耻苍别听list. Campbell Soup Company president and CEO聽聽is #31. And while she graduated from what is now the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences in 1975, Morrison has been active lately with the Carroll School of Management鈥檚聽. She has spoken at center events, and she wrote the foreword to聽, coauthored by Center director Katherine Valvoda Smith and David Stangis, Campbell鈥檚 vice president who oversees corporate social responsibility and sustainability. Boston College is one of the very few institutions to graduate more than one woman on聽Fortune鈥檚 Most Powerful Women list.