Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), has secured a place in Forbes’ prestigious 100 Most Powerful Women list.
The 20th annual ranking, released on Tuesday, positions the distinguished Nigerian economist at 87th place, surpassing South African businesswoman Mpumi Madisa at 88th.
Making her debut on the list, Tanzanian President Samia Hassan claims the 93rd position, alongside Nigerian media mogul and philanthropist Mo Abudu at 98th.
The #PowerWomen ranking for 2023 encompasses women in six categories: business, technology, finance, media & entertainment, politics & policy, and philanthropy.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission for Impactful Policy and Budget, secures the top position, while Christine Lagarde, European Central Bank President, follows in second place, with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris ranking third.
Okonjo-Iweala, who made history in 2021 as the first woman and first African Director-General of the WTO, is celebrated for her outstanding career at the World Bank and impactful economic reforms in Nigeria.
Her recognition on Forbes’ list highlights not only her significant contributions to global trade but also her dedication to economic development, governance, and international leadership.
See full list below:
1 Ursula von der Leyen 65 Belgium Politics & Policy
2 Christine Lagarde 67 Germany Politics & Policy
3 Kamala Harris 59 USA Politics & Policy
4 Giorgia Meloni 46 Italy Politics & Policy
5 Taylor Swift 33 USA Media & Entertainment
6 Karen Lynch 59 USA Business
7 Jane Fraser 56 USA Finance
8 Abigail Johnson 61 USA Finance
9 Mary Barra 61 USA Business
10 Melinda French Gates 59 USA Philanthropy
11 Julie Sweet 56 USA Business
12 Kristalina Georgieva 70 USA Politics & Policy
13 MacKenzie Scott 53 USA Philanthropy
14 Gail Boudreaux 63 USA Business
15 Emma Walmsley 54 UK Business
16 Ruth Porat 66 USA Technology
17 Safra Catz 62 USA Technology
18 Ana Patricia Botín 63 Spain Finance
19 Carol Tomé 66 USA Business
20 Sandy Ran Xu 46 China Business
21 Kathryn McLay 49 USA Business
22 Sarah London 43 USA Business
23 Amy Hood 51 USA Technology
24 Tarciana Gomes Medeiros 45 Brazil Finance
25 Laurene Powell Jobs 60 USA Philanthropy
26 Catherine MacGregor 51 France Business
27 Janet Yellen 77 USA Politics & Policy
28 Gwynne Shotwell 60 USA Technology
29 Phebe Novakovic 66 USA Business
30 Tsai Ing-wen 67 Taiwan Politics & Policy
31 Oprah Winfrey 69 USA Media & Entertainment
32 Nirmala Sitharaman 64 India Politics & Policy
33 Ho Ching 70 Singapore Finance
34 Thasunda Brown Duckett 50 USA Finance
35 Marianne Lake, Jennifer Piepszak USA Finance
36 Beyoncé Knowles 42 USA Media & Entertainment
37 Shari Redstone 69 USA Media & Entertainment
38 Kathy Warden 52 USA Business
39 Dana Walden 59 USA Media & Entertainment
40 Amanda Blanc 56 UK Business
41 Susan Li 38 USA Technology
42 Margherita Della Valle 58 USA Business
43 Adena Friedman 54 USA Finance
44 Mary Callahan Erdoes 56 USA Finance
45 Lynn Martin 47 USA Finance
46 Sheikh Hasina Wajed 76 Bangladesh Politics & Policy
47 Sri Mulyani Indrawati 61 Indonesia Politics & Policy
48 Gina Rinehart 69 Australia Business
49 Lisa Su 54 USA Technology
50 Vicki Hollub 64 USA Business
51 Nicke Widyawati 55 Indonesia Business
52 Shemara Wikramanayake 61 Australia Finance
53 Tricia Griffith 59 USA Business
54 Jessica Tan 46 China Business
55 Judy Faulkner 80 USA Technology
56 Tokiko Shimizu 58 Japan Finance
57 Donna Langley 55 USA Media & Entertainment
58 Jennifer Salke 59 USA Media & Entertainment
59 Wang Laichun 56 China Technology
60 Roshni Nadar Malhotra 42 India Technology
61 Jenny Johnson 59 USA Finance
62 Yuriko Koike 71 Japan Politics & Policy
63 Hana Al Rostamani United Arab Emirates Finance
64 Suzanne Scott 57 USA Media & Entertainment
65 Lynn Good 64 USA Business
66 Sinead Gorman 46 The United Kingdom Business
67 Bela Bajaria 52 USA Media & Entertainment
68 Belén Garijo 63 Germany Business
69 Melanie Kreis 52 Germany Business
70 Soma Mondal 60 India Business
71 Paula Santilli Mexico Business
72 Mette Frederiksen 46 Denmark Politics & Policy
73 Joey Wat 52 China Business
74 Rihanna 35 USA Media & Entertainment
75 Linda Thomas-Greenfield 71 USA Politics & Policy
76 Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw 70 India Business
77 Güler Sabanci 68 Turkey Business
78 Trudy Shan Dai 47 China Business
79 Debra Crew 52 The United Kingdom Business
80 Robyn Denholm 60 Austrailia Business
81 Solina Chau 61 Hong Kong Philanthropy
82 Lee Boo-jin 53 South Korea Business
83 Robyn Grew 54 The United Kingdom Finance
84 Zuzana Caputova 50 Slovakia Politics & Policy
85 Mary Meeker 64 USA Finance
86 Makiko Ono 63 Japan Business
87 Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala 69 Nigeria Politics & Policy
88 Mpumi Madisa 44 South Africa Business
89 Melanie Perkins 36 Austrailia Business
90 Dominique Senequier 70 France Finance
91 Raja Easa Al Gurg United Arab Emirates Business
92 Julia Gillard 62 The United Kingdom Philanthropy
93 Samia Suluhu Hassan 63 Tanzania Politics & Policy
94 Xiomara Castro 64 Honduras Politics & Policy
95 Kirsten Green 52 USA Finance
96 Choi Soo-yeon 42 South Korea Business
97 Jenny Lee 51 Singapore Finance
98 Mo Abudu 59 Nigeria Media & Entertainment
99 Mia Mottley 58 Barbados Politics & Policy
100 Barbie 64 USA Media & Entertainment
Ada Peter