8. Nancy-Ann DeParle

DeParle isn’t quite a household name, but as director of the White House Office of Health Reform, she’s been Obama’s point person on health care reform all year, often acting as the bridge between congressional leaders and White House officials, including the president himself. DeParle, the former head of Medicare, has drawn some criticism for her often lucrative connections to health care companies, but those same connections also afforded her an insider’s advantage as the administration forged deals with members of the medical-industrial complex who in the past have successfully killed health care reform.

Next — 7. Peter Orszag