35. Belinda Menendez

Menendez left her Scottish university with a master's in theology, but landed early jobs with European broadcasters because she spoke several languages. Her early opportunities working abroad served as excellent prep for running 13 offices worldwide: "I've always been in a world that's multicultural, and I think that served enormously what I do today, when you have to be sensitive to different marketplaces and cultures," she says. During the four years in her current slot, Menendez has presided over worldwide hits like Fox's "House" and NBC's "Heroes," and in 2008 she began producing subtitled versions of shows on a pay-per-view basis four days after their U.S. premiere in an attempt to beat pirates at their own game. Next year, Menendez's eyes are on the "nascent" but growing on-demand market, with the company's PictureBox subscription service expanding into several new territories.