Get To Know The World's Top 10 Most Powerful Women | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Get To Know The World's Top 10 Most Powerful Women

Who run the world? Girls.

30
Get To Know The World's Top 10 Most Powerful Women
Forbes

Recently, Forbes compiled a list of the world's brightest and boldest women of 2016. Among them were Oprah Winfrey at #21, Queen Elizabeth II at #29 and Michelle Obama at #13. This top 10 is fuming with women of confidence, wit, cojones...

And guess what?

Each of them could care less if Joe Shmoe called them a b****.

1. Angela Merkel - Chancellor, Germany

Merkel is a strong, steady leader who has combated economic and humanitarian disasters, despite political backlash. Most stood dumbfounded as a quiet woman who achieved a master of science studying physics and a doctorate in quantum chemistry... somehow broke through the ranks of male-dominated German politics becoming Germany's first female chancellor and one of the leading figures of the European Union. Merkel was widely known for her caution in politics until she threw open Germany's doors to one million refugees.

In other words: Angie broke boundaries literally and figuratively.

2. Hillary Clinton - Presidential candidate, United States


She's actually done it all; secretary of state, first woman to serve as a U.S senator from New York, first lady of the United States, first lady of the state of Arkansas, a practicing lawyer and law professor, social justice activist and a volunteer. Hillary was instrumental in restoring America's standing across the globe, visiting 112 countries and helping to shape the global conversation. She has been a forceful champion for LGBT rights, and made advancing the status of women and girls around the world a core part of United State foreign policy, breaking barriers from stopping women from reaching their full potential.

In other words: No-Chillary Clinton.

3. Janet Yellen - Chair, Federal Reserve, Washington, United States

Yellen is a leading American economist, becoming the first woman to earn chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors in 2014. On her hard-fought and well earned journey to the top, she graduated summa cum laude from Brown University with a degree in economics, received her Ph.D from Yale University, served as professor at the University of California, Berkeley, served on the White House Council of Economic Advisers for President Bill Clinton, and became the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. She laid the groundwork for the Fed's commitment to maintain inflation at 2 percent, arguing successfully that seeking to eliminate inflation completely would do more harm than good.

In other words: she knows your money better than you do... and she's a low-key genius.

4. Melinda Gates - Cochair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, United States

Widely known as Bill's better half, Melinda has made it her mission to eradicate global poverty through initiatives in education, healthcare and human connection. She and Bill, the wealthiest couple in the world, have a combined net worth of over $85.7 billion. However, the pair has pledged to give away 95 percent of their wealth through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Most notably yearning to break the cycle of poverty for families and opportunities for women, she is fiercely promoting a plan to provide access to contraceptives for an additional 120 million women in the world's poorest countries by 2020.

The first time Bill Gates asked Melinda out on a date, she turned him down.

In other words: As an american businesswoman, philanthropist and billionaire crusader, Melinda has proved she is anything but a wife in the shadows.

5. Mary Barra - CEO, General Motors, United States

A 36-year-veteran of General Motors and the first female chief operating officer of any major automaker, CEO Mary Barra is paving the way for a wicked comeback for her company. Just two years ago, General Motors was plagued with the recall of 30 million cars after faulty ignition switches. She began as an intern with the company and climbed the corporate ladder through dedication and hard work. She was chosen for her position due to her "breadth and depth of experience, her managerial skills, her interpersonal skills...her understanding of our internal machinations," says former GM CEO Dan Akerson.

In other words: don't think for a second that an internship is nothing more than a few coffee runs...

6. Christine Lagarde - Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, France

Christine Lagarde became no stranger to the "first woman to..." label. As the first woman to serve as France's finance minister and first woman in the Group of Eight countries to become Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Lagarde holds the controversial view that France's 35 hour work week was a symbol of indolence. She is an outspoken advocate for perseverance in the work room and a sturdy work ethic, a sentiment that was mirrored by the French Business Community. Never afraid to speak her mind, she blamed the 2008 worldwide financial crisis partly on the male-dominated, testosterone-fuelled culture at global banks.

In other words: no slacking off in the work room with this rock star.

7. Sheryl Sandberg - COO, Facebook, United States

Business leader Sheryl Sandberg is the chief operating officer of a little known company called Facebook and best selling author of "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will To Lead." A Harvard graduate, former Department of Treasury employee under the Clinton administration, and former Google V.P. of global online sales & operations, Sandberg built a reputation as one of the top executives in the country. As COO, she is massively expanding Facebook's global footprint.

In other words: this woman has worked her way to the top of two different powerful tech companies and continues to radically change women's position in the workforce.

8. Susan Wojcicki - CEO, Youtube, Google, United States

Susan Wojcicki has been with Google since its beginning, working out of her garage for the first few months as the company's 16th employee. She was at the helm of spearheading Google's Youtube purchase (Youtube was, at the time, Google Video's most promising competitor).

In other words: Susan is urging her company’s creative community to use its powerful voice to affect change in the wake of recent violence across the United States.

9. Meg Whitman - CEO, Hewlett-Packard, United States

Corporate executive Meg Whitman earned her bachelors at Princeton, her MBA at Harvard, held high profile positions at big firms like Disney, Stride Rite, FTD and Hasbro, worked with Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, advised John McCain in the 2008 election, served as CEO for eBay for 10 years and brought the small company's sales from $86 million to $7.7 billion a decade later, before finally becoming CEO of Hewlett-Packard.

In other words: Let it be known that this billionaire bussineswoman and right wing conservative is throwing all her support to the Clinton campaign.

10. Ana Patricia Botin - Chair, Santander Group, Banco Santander, Spain

Over 15 years ago, Spanish banker Ana Patricia Botín was knocked out of her senior job at Banco Santander SA by the bank's chairman, otherwise known as her father. But Ms. Botín's career came full circle, with her being named chairman after her father's death. "She knows her stuff," says J.P Morgan Chase & Co. James Dimon, "works hard, gives a damn, never acted like she was going to be owed anything.

In other words: Like father, like daughter.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

128718
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

29176
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

27048
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments