Martha Rivers Ingram is an American businesswoman, the billionaire Chair Emeritus of Ingram Industries, a massive privately held conglomerate spanning marine transportation (barges), book distribution, and industrial manufacturing. Her colossal wealth is generational, tied to the industrial empire founded by her late husband, E. Bronson Ingram (d. 1995).

Ingram graduated from Vassar College (1957). Her career is defined by generational stewardship and executive leadership in the publishing and industrial sectors. She assumed the Chairmanship in 1995 after her husband's death and successfully navigated a complex debt restructuring and asset spin-off. Her philosophy centers on prudence, operational excellence, and high-impact philanthropy (focusing on the arts and education).

• Ingram Industries (Chair Emeritus): The core private asset, a massive conglomerate spanning marine transportation (barges), book distribution, and industrial manufacturing.
• Book Distribution Apex: Her company, Ingram Content Group, is the world's largest book distributor.
• Corporate Transition: She successfully led the group through a major debt restructuring and asset spin-off after her husband's death.
• Philanthropy: She is a major donor to Vanderbilt University (endowing the Ingram Scholarship Program) and the arts in Nashville.

Martha Ingram's strategic leadership involved stabilizing and restructuring the complex Ingram Industries empire after her husband's sudden death. She successfully sold a minority stake in Ingram Micro (technology distribution) for a massive gain, using the capital to focus on the core assets: marine transportation and book distribution.

Her structural contribution is immense: Ingram Content Group (book distribution) is a foundational pillar of the global publishing industry. She successfully transitioned the executive leadership to her sons, Orrin Ingram (CEO) and John R. Ingram (former Chairman). Her wealth is secured by the colossal, long-term, stable profitability of the essential logistics and publishing sectors.

Martha Ingram's social impact is structural, stemming from Ingram Industries' role as a massive employer and foundational provider of essential transportation and publishing services (barges and book distribution). Her profound philanthropic contribution is to education and the arts: the Ingram Scholarship Program at Vanderbilt University provides major structural support for college access and leadership development.

Her structural contribution is tied to the successful generational transition and stable private control of a critical industrial and media asset.

Martha Ingram maintains the professional, composed style of a corporate executive. Her attire is consistently formal and high-quality, favoring tailored suits. Her aesthetic reflects serious authority and stability, typical of a matriarch in the industrial and publishing sectors.

Residing in Nashville, Tennessee, her luxury is the immense security and financial reward derived from her multi-billion dollar fortune. Her life is dedicated to financial stewardship, corporate governance, and high-impact philanthropy.