MAGDALENA KALA, 29

VICE PRESIDENT, BAIN CAPITAL

Magdalena Kala, a vice president at private equity giant Bain Capital, recently dyed her hair red to match the branding of Virgin Voyages. The new $3 billion cruise-line venture between Bain and billionaire Richard Branson is looking to rock the industry’s boat—swapping floating theme parks for grown-up vessels (no children allowed), featuring modern design, high-end restaurants, rollicking nightlife, robust fitness programs and even tattoo parlors. Kala is an observer of the Virgin Voyages’ board, heads partnerships with brands like Virgin Atlantic and Delta and is helping run its customer-targeting strategy and social media influencer campaigns. Raised in a Polish farming village with dreams of an American education, Kala emailed 270 U.S. boarding schools for a scholarship, landing at Pennsylvania’s Mercersburg Academy and later Harvard. “I grew up right after communism ended, so being scrappy was very much a part of my childhood.” —Michael del Castillo, Antoine Gara, Jeff Kauflin, Nathan Vardi