Kristin Cochrane

CeO, Penguin randOM HOuse

in june, when Brad Martin ceded the role of CEO to Cochrane, she became the uncontested top name in Canadian publishing. With the publication of Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life—two million copies sold and counting—she can take credit for the most commercially successful title in recent history, and award-winners Brother by David Chariandy and Bellevue Square by Michael Redhill cement her artistic cred.

up next: Publishing Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming.