Forbes
The world's most powerful women
(Page 2) of 2
 Previous
One key move by her country should help here. Bowing to international pressure, in July China revalued the yuan by a modest 2.1%, scrapping the yuan's 10-year-old peg to the U.S. dollar and replacing it with a tightly managed float against a basket of unspecified foreign currencies, in which the dollar will likely occupy a prominent place.
Yulia Tymoshenko
Prime Minister Ukraine
 Tymoshenko, 44, was one of the leaders of Ukraine's Orange Revolution last fall that toppled a stagnant, corrupt regime. For her support, the country's new president, Victor Yushchenko, appointed her prime minister, a post she is using forcefully to shake up Ukrainian oligarchs. Her bold moves to re-privatize industrial assets, allegedly bought on the cheap by billionaires like Rinat Akhmetov and Victor Pinchuk, have met with criticism both inside and outside Ukraine. But Tymoshenko is used to controversy, having fallen out with the sitting government in 2001, leading to her arrest and later dismissal. Tymoshenko is also known for her fashion sense, appearing on the cover of the Ukrainian edition of Elle magazine earlier this year.
Gloria Arroyo
President Philippines
 Arroyo, 58, is now fighting to hold on to her job as the opposition party seeks to file impeachment charges against her over a series of scandals, and her attempts to fix Manila's weak finances are falling apart, causing frustrated technocrats to bolt from her government. After donning the mantle of president in 2001, Arroyo tried to work diligently on her governing platform, which includes the eradication of poverty, which helped her win re-election in 2004. Nevertheless, despite a growing economy (in 2004, the Philippines economy grew an estimated 6.1%, up from 4.7% in 2003), Arroyo's stewardship has been burdened by a Muslim insurgency and the Philippines' designation as the second most corrupt country in Asia, according to a survey of businessmen conducted by the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy. Arroyo, a former classmate of Bill Clinton's at Georgetown University and a onetime economics professor, is currently under investigation by lawmakers into allegations she cheated to win last year's election; to date Arroyo has declined to testify before her government's Congress.
Margaret (Meg) Whitman
Chief executive, eBay -- U.S.
 As ruler of the world's biggest online auction site, Whitman, 49, has successfully beaten back stiff competition from Amazon.com and Yahoo!. To do that, she has swiftly fixed any problems, has faithfully tried to weed out the fakes on her site and has posted a consistent flow of profits, making eBay the world's most valuable Internet brand. All this is to be expected. Whitman has an impressive, blue-chip rsum, with executive stints at Hasbro, the Walt Disney Co. and Bain & Co., among others. Whitman also serves on the boards of eBay as well as DreamWorks Animation, Procter & Gamble and the Gap. Despite her stock's volatility, her personal holdings are valued at $1.6 billion, making Whitman one of the richest people on the planet.
Nos. 6-10
6. Anne Mulcahy Chief executive, Xerox/U.S.
7. Sallie Krawcheck Chief financial officer, Citigroup/U.S.
8. Brenda Barnes Chief executive, Sara Lee/U.S.
9. Oprah Winfrey Chief executive, Harpo/U.S.
10. Melinda Gates Co-founder, Gates Foundation/U.S.
Or see the slide show.
|
