Forbes’ annual ranking of the World’s 100 most powerful women
Forbes today announced its annual ranking of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel (No. 1) topping this year’s list (“The 100 Most Powerful Women,” p. 77). U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton moves into the No. 2 spot, followed by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff atNo. 3. Members of the 2011 ranking come from politics, business, media, entertainment and non-profit; their power derives
from money and might, but also (thanks to social media) reach and influence. They control $30 trillion collectively and have an average age of 54. Twenty-nine are CEOs; 22 are single; 8 are heads of state; 74 are returnees.
Here are the women included in the Top 15:
1 Angela Merkel Chancellor/ Germany
2 Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State/ U.S.
3 Dilma Rouseff President/ Brazil
4 Indra Nooyi CEO, PepsiCo/ U.S.
5 Sheryl Sandberg COO, Facebook/U.S.
6 Melinda Gates Cofounder, Cochair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/U.S.
7 Sonia Gandhi President, Indian National Congress Party/India
8 Michelle Obama First Lady/ U.S.
9 Christine Lagarde Managing Director, International Monetary Fund/U.S.
10 Irene Rosenfeld CEO, Kraft Foods/ U.S.
11 Lady Gaga Entertainer/U.S.
12 Jill Abramson Executive Editor, The New York Times/U.S.
13 Kathleen Sebelius Secretary of Health and Human Services/U.S.
14 Oprah Winfrey Media Mogul/U.S.
15 Janet Napolitano Secretary of Homeland Security/U.S.