Hobson serves on the board of many organizations, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., the Chicago Public Education Fund, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the Sundance Institute. She is also on the board of directors of the Starbucks Corporation, and formerly of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.. Hobson has been acclaimed in selections such as "Time's" 2015 Time 100 List, the magazine's annual list of the one hundred most influential people in the world)., "Ebony" magazine's "20 Leaders of the Future" (1992), Working Women Magazine's "20 Under 30" (1992), the World Economic Forum's "Global Leaders of Tomorrow" (2001), "Esquire"'s "America's Best and Brightest" (2002), "The Wall Street Journal"'s 50 "Women to Watch" (2004).