Top 10 Most Powerful Women in the World

There was a period of time when women were seen as a weaker section of society. Then, people thought that women were only capable of doing household chores and looking after their husbands and families. But with changing years, many women have broken age-old patriarchal doctrines and shown us their fullest potential.

Over the years, we have seen many powerful women establish themselves in different sectors such as sports, politics, and more. A woman has various hats on and off during the day and she doesn’t let one fall while her attention is on the others. Women are superheroes as they juggle their professional life and personal life like true pros. Continue reading further to take a look at the 10 most powerful women in the world.

Who are the top 10 most powerful women in the world?

1. Ursula von der Leyen

German politician Ursula von der Leyen tops the list of most powerful women in the world. Between the years 2005 and 2019, the 64-year-old served in the German federal government. She has been serving as the president of the European Commission since the year 2019. She is the first woman to serve in the role. In November 2022, the European Commission President announced that her commission will be working to establish an International Criminal Tribunal for the Russian Federation.

2. Christine Lagarde

Christine Lagarde is the president of the European Central Bank. On November 1, 2019, the French politician became the first woman to head the European Central Bank. In addition to this, she is also a lawyer. From 2011 to 2019, she served as the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which works to maintain the stability of the global monetary system. She was the first woman to hold that position.

3. Kamala Harris

On January 20, 2021, Kamala Harris became the first woman, the first black person, and the first South Asian-American to become the vice president of the United States. In the year 2016, she was the first Indian-American woman to be elected to become the United States Senate. She was born in Oakland, California to immigrant parents, her mom was originally from India, meanwhile, her father was from Jamaica. She is the first graduate of a historically Black college or university to hold the vice presidency.

4. Mary Barra

Business mogul Mary Barra has been the chief executive officer (CEO) of General Motors since the year 2014. She is the first woman to lead one of the big three automakers in the United States. Over the years, she has put billions into self-driving cars, electric vehicles, and a ride-share service called Maven.

Barra started working for General Motors in the year 1980 as a co-op student. At that time, she was only 18 years old. And, now she is the CEO of the American multinational automotive manufacturing company General Motors which operates in more than 8 countries.

5. Abigail Johnson

Abigail Johnson is the CEO of the multinational financial services company Fidelity Investments. She has held that position in the company since the year 2014. She took over the company for her father and she has served as the chairman of the company since the year 2016. The Boston-based mutual was founded by her grandfather Edward C. Johnson II in the year 1946. At the moment, she owns 24.5% stake of the firm, which has $3.7 trillion in managed assets. In 2020, she was named the richest person in Massachusetts.

6. Melinda French Gates

Melinda French Gates is the co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which was founded by her and her ex-husband Bill Gates in the year 2000. In May 2021, the pair announced that they were heading in the direction of divorce but mentioned that they will remain the co-chairs of the foundation.

According to filings, Melinda became a billionaire on her own when Bill Gates transferred her $2.4 billion worth of stock in May 2021. The key goals of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are to enhance healthcare and reduce extreme poverty across the world and expand educational opportunities. As a co-founder of the foundation, she has devoted a large amount of her time to work for women’s and girls’ rights. Currently, she is one of the most powerful women in the world.

7. Giorgia Meloni

Giorgia Meloni is the Prime Minister of Italy. The Italian politician has been serving as the prime minister of Italy since October 22, 2022. She is the first woman to hold the position. She has been a member of the Chamber of Deputies since the year 2006. Along with this, she is also the president of Italy’s right-wing Brothers of Italy party. She assumed that office in March 2014.

8. Karen Lynch

American businesswoman Karen Lynch is the chief executive officer of the healthcare company CVS Health. She also serves on the AHIP, CVS Health, and U.S. Bancorp’s board of directors. In the year 2015, she became the first female president of the healthcare company Aetna. In the past, she has held positions at companies like Magellan Health Services and Cigna.

9. Julie Sweet

Julie Sweet is the chief executive officer of Accenture, a multinational professional services company. Before becoming the CEO of Accenture, she was an attorney at the law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore. She worked at the law firm for a total of 17 years. Accenture recruited Sweet as general counsel in the year 2010. She serves on the board of directors of Business Roundtable, the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council, and Catalyst.

10. Jane Fraser

In September 2020, Citigroup announced that Jane Fraser will replace Michael Corbat as CEO of Citigroup Inc. She started her new role in March 2021 and created history by becoming the first female to run Citigroup. She is also the first-ever woman to run a major Wall Street bank. Prior to being named the CEO of Citigroup, she was the president of Citigroup, and also CEO of Consumer Banking. She joined Citigroup in the year 2004 and the rest is history.

According to you, who is the most powerful woman in the world right now? Kindly let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Don’t forget to stay tuned with us for the latest updates from the world.

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