The 100 Most Powerful Women 2025: Who leads the list of the most influential?

The 100 Most Powerful Women 2025: Who leads the list of the most influential?

Today, May 24, 2025, the renowned business organization Fortune published the 28th edition of its list of “Most Powerful Women in Business” (MPW 100). This list features 100 outstanding women from various industries, with 52 of them from the United States and 48 women from international backgrounds. The international composition of the list shows a diverse background, with 8 women from China, 7 from France, 7 from the United Kingdom, 3 from Germany, 3 from Singapore, 3 from Brazil, and other countries.

The selection process for the MPW 100 list takes into account various criteria such as company size, company health, career history, influence and innovative strength. Over 50 women lead Fortune 500 companies, but only 20 are included on the final list. There are also 16 new additions this year, including Claudine Adamo, the CEO of Costco, at No. 43, and Julie Gao, CFO of ByteDance, at No. 81. Returning honorees include Michelle Gass, the CEO of Levi Strauss, who made the cut at No. 71.

The ten most powerful women of 2025

• 1. Mary Barra, CEO von GM (USA)
• 2. Julie Sweet, CEO von Accenture (USA)
• 3. Jane Fraser, CEO von Citigroup (USA)
• 4. Lisa Su, CEO von AMD (USA)
• 5. Ana Botín, Vorstandsvorsitzende von Banco Santander (Spanien)
• 6. Tan Su Shan, CEO von DBS Group (Singapur)
• 7. Thasunda Brown Duckett, CEO von TIAA (USA)
• 8. Marta Ortega, Präsidentin von Inditex (Spanien)
• 9. Abigail Johnson, CEO von Fidelity Investments (USA)
• 10. Meng Wanzhou, Finanzvorstand von Huawei (China)

Mary Barra tops the list of most powerful women in 2025 for the second year in a row and fifth time overall. Her leadership at General Motors (GM) has been marked by challenges such as auto tariffs, while she steers the company into new technologies, particularly artificial intelligence and electric vehicles.

International Summit for Women in Leadership

In addition to releasing the list, Fortune announced the first International Women Leadership Summit to be held May 20-21, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The theme of the summit is “A New Era for Business: Partnering for Global Prosperity.” This invitation-only summit will feature leaders from various industries and governments around the world.

The summit will cover significant topics including collaboration between the public and private sectors, innovation, economic growth and global leadership in times of crisis. Saudi Arabia has seen significant progress in promoting female leadership in recent years, with women's labor force participation rates increasing to 36% from 17% in 2017. It is also noteworthy that women own 45% of small and medium-sized businesses in the country.

Anastasia Nyrkovskaya, CEO of Fortune, highlights Saudi Arabia's growing importance to global business, while Alyson Shontell, editor-in-chief of Fortune, emphasizes the country's influence on the global economy. The Summit represents an excellent opportunity for global leaders to connect and establish partnerships with a burgeoning market. The 100 Most Powerful Women in Business list will also be released on May 20, recognizing female leaders from 19 countries and territories in 14 sectors.

Overall, the event in Riyadh represents a significant step towards visibility and support for female leaders. Fortune, in collaboration with the Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA), is building a platform that promotes the advancement of women in business and society.

For further information on developments regarding the Most Powerful Women in Business list, please visit Vietnam.vn and for details about the international summit click on OTS.at.