11. Donna Langley

"Find fresh ways to tell universal stories." Langley's mantra isn't just a pun on her employer. Thanks to such hits as "Mamma Mia!" ($565 million boxoffice worldwide), "Wanted" and "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" (both broke the $300 million worldwide boxoffice mark), the studio is set to surpass last year's all-time high of $2.13 billion worldwide. The U.K. native is equally bullish on her 2009 slate, which will include the Julia Roberts-Clive Owen thriller "Duplicity" and Judd Apatow's next directing effort, "Funny People," plus a fourth Jason Bourne film further down the road.

Insiders note that Langley is one of the more self-effacing execs in the business, which helps her lure directors to the company with the promise that they'll have a certain amount of creative freedom. On the personal front, this year Langley celebrates her fifth wedding anniversary with an American architectural designer. "Finding that balance between professional and personal life is a constant struggle," she says.