For the first time, top women from Scotland, Myanmar, Mauritius, Nepal, Croatia, Taiwan and Lithuania have been included in the list
NEW YORK (United States of America) – Top American magazine Forbes has announced German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the world’s most powerful woman, for a sixth consecutive time. US presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and United States Federal Reserve Chair and American economist Janet Yellen are the world’s second and third most powerful women, respectively.
Forbes said, ‘By opening Germany’s borders to over 1 million immigrants from Syria and other Muslim countries in the last several years, Merkel has decided to wield her power with the most curious of geopolitical strategies: sheer humanism.’
Rounding up the top 10 are General Motors CEO Mary Barra, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, HP CEO Meg Whitman, and Santander Group CEO Ana Patricia Botin.
Of the 100 on the list, 26 are political leaders, including 11 heads of state as well as a 90-year-old monarch, Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain.
Forbes noted that this year’s powerful women governs or directly influences more than 3.6 billion people and controls nearly $1 trillion in revenues.
For the first time, top women from Scotland, Myanmar, Mauritius, Nepal, Croatia, Taiwan and Lithuania have been included in the list. Indian national Indra Nooyi, who is currently serving as CEO of Pepsi Co, was also lucky enough to make it on Forbes’ listing.
Excluding the entertainment industry, this year’s ranking represents women from seven categories: billionaires, business, finance, media, politics, philanthropists and non-government organisations, and technology.
Overall, American women dominate the 2016 list with 51 spots, followed by China with nine places.
Forbes used four criteria to determine the rankings:
- Money – net worth, company revenues, or GDP
- Media presence
- Spheres of influence
- Impact – analyzed both within the context of each woman’s field (media, technology, business, philanthropy, politics, and finance) and outside of it
The world’s 10 most powerful women in 2016, according to Forbes
1. Angela Merkel – German Chancellor
2. Hillary Clinton – Presidential candidate
3. Janet Yellen – Chair of the US Federal Reserve
4. Melinda Gates – Philanthropist and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
5. Mary Barra – Chief executive, General Motors
6. Christine Lagarde – Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
7. Sheryl Sandberg – Chief operating officer, Facebook
8. Susan Wojcicki – Chief executive, YouTube
9. Meg Whitman – Chief executive, HP
10. Ana Botin – Chair, Banco Santander