World Beaters

ROB LAWES
Kids'-TV King

The CEO of London-based HIT Entertainment, one of the world's leading children's-TV studios, is expanding his kingdom of toddler favorites. Home to such franchises as Bob the Builder and Barney, HIT has added another creature to its TV menagerie — an animated mouse called Angelina Ballerina. The British-born Lawes, 35, who joined HIT in its infancy in 1989, says his favorite TV character is Bob the Builder, the construction worker who generates 35% of the company's sales. Lawes and his wife are expecting their first child in the fall — at about the same time Barney gets a makeover (insiders say he will be in a park instead of the same old schoolyard). "I can see it now," says Lawes. "I'll be the most popular dad in the nursery school. I'll take my child and all his or her friends to meet Barney, live. How cool is that?"

MARJORIE MAGNER
CitiBanker

One of the country's most powerful woman bankers just got a bigger job. Magner, 52, has been promoted to chief operating officer of Citigroup's consumer division, where she will take on an expanded role in overseeing consumer banking in North America, Europe and Japan. A single mother and native New Yorker, Magner also serves on the boards of charities, including Dress for Success — an interesting choice, given that her advice when speaking at a recent FORTUNE magazine conference on women in business was, "Wear any damn shoes you want."

SABEER BHATIA
Voice-Messaging Guru

Five years ago, Sabeer Bhatia, 33, sold his e-mail company, Hot Mail, to Microsoft for $400 million. Since then the Indian-born bachelor has had trouble keeping up his sizzling reputation. Last year his technology consulting site, Arzoo.com, closed just 18 months after its launch. Undaunted, he has unveiled TeliVoice, a service that allows cellular subscribers in India to send cheap voice messages to the U.S. and Canada. If even a fraction of India's 6 million cell-phone users sign on, he will have success. Not bad for a man who once planned to sell sandwiches on the streets of Bangalore.