Who are Forbes' 10 most powerful women?
Every year, Forbes releases a list of the world’s most powerful woman, influential in everything from politics to technology to culture.
The list includes obvious choices, such as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but also includes unexpected choices, such as Lady Gaga (No. 11 this year). Here are the 10 most powerful women:
(See full list here)
- Ariel Zirulnick, Staff writer
Kraft Foods Chairman and CEO Irene Rosenfeld rolls up her sleeves at the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, alongside employee Mark Barash and 130 other employee volunteers. (Kraft Foods/PRNewsFoto)
IMF managing director Christine Lagarde holds a news briefing at the International Monetary Fund headquarters in Washington, D.C., in this July 6 file photo. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters/File)
9. Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund
Ms. Lagarde, appointed the IMF managing director in June, is the first woman to hold the position, typically held by a European male. She’ll be presiding over the IMF at a challenging time – the organization has had to bail out numerous countries in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and may have to do so again.
First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughter Sasha (l.) walk toward waiting vehicles, following a bicycle ride in Manuel F. Correllus State Forest in West Tisbury, Mass., on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Tuesday, Aug. 23. (Steven Senne/AP)
8. Michelle Obama, first lady of the United States
Mrs. Obama is enjoying much better approval ratings than her husband, Forbes reports.
7. Sonia Gandhi, president of the Indian National Congress Party
Ms. Gandhi, who married into India’s Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, is not just one of the world’s most powerful women, but one of the world’s most powerful people, period – she ranks No. 9 on Forbes’ list that spans both genders.
6. Melinda Gates, cofounder and cochair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Mrs. Gates and her husband, Bill, are at the head of the world’s wealthiest private foundation, which invests in a wide variety of charitable project targeting poverty, public health, and education.
5. Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook
Eleven percent of the world’s population is now on Facebook, where Ms. Sandberg is second-in-command.
4. Indra Nooyi, chief executive of Pepsi Co.
Ms. Nooyi is head of Pepsi Co., the United States’ largest food company and one of the largest in the world – although Pepsi slipped to the third-ranked soft drink last year, behind US-based Coca Cola’s Coke and Diet Coke.
Pepsi Co. generated about $60 billion in revenue last year.
3. Dilma Roussef, president of Brazil
Ms. Rousseff may be Brazil’s first female president, but her election in 2010 was not a surprise.
2. Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State
Mrs. Clinton’s global stature has steadily climbed the last couple years.
1. German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Chancellor Merkel is not only the most powerful woman in the world, according to Forbes, but the sixth most powerful person when men are included on the list.
(See full list here)
- Ariel Zirulnick, Staff writer
Kraft Foods Chairman and CEO Irene Rosenfeld rolls up her sleeves at the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, alongside employee Mark Barash and 130 other employee volunteers. (Kraft Foods/PRNewsFoto)
10. Irene Rosenfeld, CEO of Kraft Foods
Ms. Rosenfeld is the head of the world’s second-largest food maker, famous for its blue boxes of macaroni and cheese (Kraft Mac ‘n’ Cheese) and Oreos.
Ms. Rosenfeld is the head of the world’s second-largest food maker, famous for its blue boxes of macaroni and cheese (Kraft Mac ‘n’ Cheese) and Oreos.
The company brought in close to $50 billion in revenue in 2010, spurred by some of Rosenfeld’s risky business moves that turned out to be good ones, such as acquiring Cadbury in 2010.
Warren Buffet called the move “dumb,” according to Forbes, but Rosenfeld boosted revenues by 25 percent that quarter.
IMF managing director Christine Lagarde holds a news briefing at the International Monetary Fund headquarters in Washington, D.C., in this July 6 file photo. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters/File)
9. Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund
Ms. Lagarde, appointed the IMF managing director in June, is the first woman to hold the position, typically held by a European male. She’ll be presiding over the IMF at a challenging time – the organization has had to bail out numerous countries in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and may have to do so again.
Lagarde also will have to figure out how to strike a balance between the Western European countries accustomed to dominating the IMF and the rising economies of South America andAsia.
Lagarde’s position on the Forbes list has skyrocketed with her appointment to IMF head – in 2010, she was No. 43.
Lagarde’s position on the Forbes list has skyrocketed with her appointment to IMF head – in 2010, she was No. 43.
First Lady Michelle Obama and her daughter Sasha (l.) walk toward waiting vehicles, following a bicycle ride in Manuel F. Correllus State Forest in West Tisbury, Mass., on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Tuesday, Aug. 23. (Steven Senne/AP)
8. Michelle Obama, first lady of the United States
Mrs. Obama is enjoying much better approval ratings than her husband, Forbes reports.
Hers hovered around 70 percent, while President Barack Obama’s are below 40 percent.
She has used her high profile to champion her pet cause of ending childhood obesity and this year, in tandem with the US Department of Agriculture, she unveiled MyPlate, which revamps the way people assess the nutritional standards of a meal.
Last year, Michelle Obama was Forbes’ most powerful woman.
7. Sonia Gandhi, president of the Indian National Congress Party
Ms. Gandhi, who married into India’s Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, is not just one of the world’s most powerful women, but one of the world’s most powerful people, period – she ranks No. 9 on Forbes’ list that spans both genders.
Gandhi was reelected to an unprecedented fourth term as head of the Indian National Congress Party, which won national elections in both 2004 and 2009.
In light of India’s emergence in the last couple years as a burgeoning economic power, she’s become more important than ever.
6. Melinda Gates, cofounder and cochair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Mrs. Gates and her husband, Bill, are at the head of the world’s wealthiest private foundation, which invests in a wide variety of charitable project targeting poverty, public health, and education.
In 2010 alone, the foundation donated $2.5 billion to various projects.
Bill Gates is No. 10 on this year’s list of most powerful people, which includes both genders.
In 2010, Melinda Gates was No. 27 on the women’s list.
In 2010, Melinda Gates was No. 27 on the women’s list.
5. Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer of Facebook
Eleven percent of the world’s population is now on Facebook, where Ms. Sandberg is second-in-command.
Her position at the top of the company has made her not only the world’s fifth most powerful woman, but the most powerful woman in the technology world.
Her business acumen, combined with Facebook’s technology, has turned an enormous profit – the total value of Facebook is not yet public, but experts estimate it could be as high as $100 billion.
Sandberg has used her prominence in the male-domainted technology field to champion women’s empowerment.
4. Indra Nooyi, chief executive of Pepsi Co.
Ms. Nooyi is head of Pepsi Co., the United States’ largest food company and one of the largest in the world – although Pepsi slipped to the third-ranked soft drink last year, behind US-based Coca Cola’s Coke and Diet Coke.
Pepsi Co. generated about $60 billion in revenue last year.
Nooyi will more than double the company’s nutritional portfolio by 2020 and has devoted significant funding to developed a zero-calorie soda as good as the current product.
Last year, Nooyi was the world’s sixth most powerful woman.
Last year, Nooyi was the world’s sixth most powerful woman.
3. Dilma Roussef, president of Brazil
Ms. Rousseff may be Brazil’s first female president, but her election in 2010 was not a surprise.
She had long been the obvious successor to former President Lula da Silva, for whom she served as chief of staff.
Her election catapulted her up the Forbes list – in 2010, she was No. 95.
Brazil is South America’s largest economy (it is the “B” in the so-called BRICS, five powerhouse economies the world is watching) and as the head, Rousseff’s decisions may cause financial ripples around the world.
Brazil is South America’s largest economy (it is the “B” in the so-called BRICS, five powerhouse economies the world is watching) and as the head, Rousseff’s decisions may cause financial ripples around the world.
She’s No. 16 on Forbes’ overall list of the world’s most powerful people.
2. Hillary Clinton, US Secretary of State
Mrs. Clinton’s global stature has steadily climbed the last couple years.
This year alone, she moved from the No. 5 spot on Forbes’ list to No. 2, and she is No. 20 on the list that includes both genders.
Clinton’s year has been a busy one, betweenWikiLeaks, the Arab world’s uprisings, and the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound and subsequent tensions with Pakistan.
Clinton’s year has been a busy one, betweenWikiLeaks, the Arab world’s uprisings, and the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound and subsequent tensions with Pakistan.
Her handling of the situations, while sometimes criticized, have received mostly praise.
Her next step is unclear – she has said publicly she will not run for president again, nor seek a second term as secretary of state – but she’ll certainly move on to her next step as a very powerful woman on the world stage.
1. German Chancellor Angela Merkel
Chancellor Merkel is not only the most powerful woman in the world, according to Forbes, but the sixth most powerful person when men are included on the list.
She is head of Europe’s “one real global economy” and the “undisputed” leader of the European Union during one of the EU’s most turbulent periods.
As the leader of the only European country with a booming economy, her support has been critical to stabilizing the union’s debt and keeping it unified, and bailing out other countries.
However, her economic decisions haven’t necessarily made her popular among her German constitutents who say they are tired of bailing out irresponsible neighbors.
Her approval rating is in the 30s.
However, her global ranking is up from No. 4 last year to the top spot this year. On the overall list, she is No. 6.
