hassan ahmed likes the way she handled the crisis. >> one thing that dupont did very well, and ellen kullman in particular, the current c.e.o. of dupont, she narrowed the focus and defined where dupont is going very well. >> susie: that focus helped kullman recognize the need to leave the research budget untouched during the recession. dupont filed more new patents during that period than at any time in its history. >> 208 years is a long time. so we've been through a lot of recessions before. and what i found was a company that, even in its darkest days, turned to science. to really figure out how to make it successful again. and that's why we decided not to cut our research and development budget. >> susie: that decision paid off. >> literally almost every quarter since she became c.e.o., not only has she beaten consensus or analyst estimates, but she has consistently also raised her full-year earnings guidance as well. so... so, certainly full marks on that front. >> susie: kullman also gets high marks from investors and analysts for dupont's performance. in 2010, the company was one of t

ellen kullman. she's recently been named one of the most powerful women in the country by both "fortune" and "forbes" magazines. we talk to kullman about her leadership style and how she's guided the fortune 500 company through the recession. we also look back at dupont's illustrious past and how it's evolving into a green company. join us monday for our special edition: "women in leadership: dupont c.e.o. ellen kullman." you know, tom, there are only 12 women c.e.o.s on the fortune 500, ellen kullman is one of them, she's sharp, strong and an interesting strong leader. >> tom: interesting how she's steered the company through the recession. before we go we want to make a special welcome. station to the n.b.r. family. viewers in central florida can now watch nightly business report weeknights at 6:30, on wucf tv. i'm tom hudson. goodnight, everyone. enjoy your independence day weekend. you, too, susie. >> susie: you as well, tom. i'm susie gharib. have a safe fourth and we'll see all of you again ne

ellen kullman." and tom, before we go, we also wanted to mention, starting tomorrow, viewers in central florida can watch "nightly business report" weeknights at 6:30 on wucf-tv. that's it for us tonight. thanks for watching. i'm susie gharib. tom, have a great night. >> tom: good night, susie. i'm tom hudson. good night. we hope to see all of you again tomorrow night. "nightly business report" is made possible by: this program was made possible by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. captioning sponsored by wpbt captioned by media access group at wgbh access.wgbh.org

ellen kullman. well, that got tonight's commentator thinking about a small but growing group that includes kullman-- fortune 500 female c.e.o.s. here's sylvia ann hewlett, economist and founding president at the center for work-life policy. >> why are there so few women at the top of organizations on wall street and main street and elsewhere? in 2010, across the economy, only 7% of top earners were women! its no longer a question of qualifications, commitment or track record. there's a ton of high-performing women in the pipeline these days-- fully 34% of the marzipan layer, that rich layer just below the chocolate, is female. rather its a question of sponsorship or, more precisely, lack of sponsorship. my new research shows that women are half as likely as men to have a powerful sponsor who will propel and protect them through the perilous straits of upper management. this is hugely problematic. the data show that those with sponsors are much more likely to get pay increases, and much more likely t

ellen kullman" looks her leadership style and how she's guided the fortune 500 company through the recession. for more financial news, tune in to "nightly business report" weeknights on this public television station.