Fortune 500 Daily

What’s on your wish list this holiday season? How about a Fortune 500 company? Sounds funny – but that could be exactly what Sonia Syngal is hoping for. She’s C-E-O of Old Navy – the clothing retailer that’s scheduled to spin off from parent company GAP next year. With revenues already topping eight-billion, Old Navy is positioned to claim its own spot on the coveted list.

Susan Zirinsky knows news. She started as a desk assistant at the C-B-S Washington bureau in 19-72… just two weeks after the Watergate break-in. Zirinsky spent the next four decades covering some of the world’s most historic moments… from the Gulf War and Tiananmen Square to 9-11 and the Parkland shooting. This year, Zirinsky became the first female President of C-B-S News. She joined Fortune in April to talk about her new role.

As retailers shift into high gear for the holidays, it’s time to remember all of those stores that AREN’T celebrating this year. More than nine-thousand U-S retail stores have announced they’ll close their doors in 20-19. Other retailers are experimenting, searching for ways to remain profitable. One of those companies is the Kohl’s Corporation. Company C-E-O, Michelle Gass, spoke at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit in October.

Making your list and checking it twice could be a little more stressful this year. U-S exports are flat. The job market is tightening. There’s an ongoing trade war. And on top of all of that – recession fears continue to hover in the minds of investors. In times like these, even investing experts get nervous. Experts like Steve Schwarzman. He’s the billionaire C-E-O of The Blackstone Group – one of the world’s largest investment firms.

Remember years ago when you would call your local travel agent to arrange the perfect vacation? Travel agents still exist – but more travelers now do the work themselves online. Take Booking-dot-com for example. Seven guests PER SECOND check into a place to stay they’ve found through the site. But just because travel is being booked online, doesn’t mean it’s impersonal. Gillian (GILL-ee-an) Tans is Chairwoman at Booking-dot-com.

News coverage of Black Friday usually includes pictures of shoppers pushing their way into stores in the dark hours of the morning. But at the moment, the world’s largest retailer - Walmart - is more focused on its online sales. The company’s e-commerce sales jumped more than forty-percent last quarter. Much of that was driven by Walmart’s expanded online grocery business.

When Altice acquired Cablevision in 20-15, the company became Altice U-S-A. But that’s not all that changed. The New York-based cable T-V company had been run by billionaire Charles Dolan since the 19-60’s. In 20-16, Dexter Goei took charge. And he’s brought a new culture to the legacy business.

By now, you may be tired of all the buzz around 5-G: the cellular tech that promises speeds so fast you can download your favorite Netflix series in just seconds. Despite the hype and hoopla – the U-S rollout of 5-G has been slow and messy. Paul Scanlan is the Chief Technology Officer at Huawei (WAH-way), the world’s number one telecom supplier. And yes – it’s the same Chinese company that’s been blacklisted by President Trump.

You may have seen the photo circulating on social media. It shows five middle school girls on a stage, holding awards in their hands. Why is it popping up in social feeds? For the first time, girls swept the top awards at a national STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math - competition. But getting girls to continue pursuing STEM, and eventually launching careers in STEM, remains a challenge. It’s one that Lockheed Martin’s C-E-O, Marillyn Hewson, it tackling.

Presidential impeachment hearings. The trade war with China. U-K’s Brexit battle. There are plenty of headlines weighing on consumer confidence these days. In fact, September saw the biggest drop in consumer confidence since 2-thousand-ten. But there’s one Fortune 500 company that – for now – isn’t worried. Assurant is a global insurance provider.