10 Powerful Divas Of The Year
“You don’t have to be the boss to be a leader. You can be in a leadership role in any seat that you’re sitting in.” - Stacey Cunnigham
With the past year being an extreme roller coaster ride, the economic leaders went through tremendous transformations to sustain the growth. Women leaders have proven no less in these challenging times. They bounced with massive efforts to glorify the fronts of their as well as the lives of others. Not just fighting the pandemic, the divas brightly steered up the politics, organizations, and services they most excel in.
With our current finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman occupying the 41st position among the most powerful women globally, the list is definitely intriguing this year.
Check the list of 10 powerful divas of the year!
#1. Angela Merkel, Chancellor, Germany
Merkel is one of the strong influencer and the backbone of Germany's economic foundation. Merkel became the first female Chancellor of Germany in 2005 and is serving her fourth term currently. An early October 2020 survey found 75% of adults in 14 European countries benevolently trust Merkel more than any other regional leader.
#2. Christine Lagarde, President, European Central Bank
Christine Lagarde became the first woman president to head the European Central Bank on November 1, 2019. As the head of European monetary policy, Lagarde suffered a critical test: to ensure that COVID pandemic does not further havoc on the Euro-zone. She skillfully handled the situation with swift decisions and ensured prosperity without the economic crisis.
#3. Kamala Harris, Vice President-elect, United States
Harris is no stranger to firsts: She did break a lot of ice hurdles. In 2016, Harris transpired to be the first Indian-American woman to be elected to the United States Senate. And in 2010, Harris was announced the first African-American and first woman to serve as California's attorney general. Breaking all the grounds, on November 7, 2020, Harris became the first woman in American history to elect the vice president.
#4. Ursula von der Leyen, President, European Commission, European Union
Ursula von der Leyen is another strong women leader from Europe. She was appointed as the European Commission president, the executive branch of the European Union, in July 2019. She also holds the credit of serving the responsible role as the first woman, for legislation affecting more than 700 million Europeans. From 2005 till 2019, von der Leyen served in Angela Merkel's cabinet, the longest tenure of any cabinet member.
#5. Melinda Gates, Co-Chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Gates marked their absolute way in philanthropy through the private charitable foundation with a $40 billion trust endowment. Gates maintains her responsibility as the most powerful woman in philanthropy as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's co-chair. Her strategic thinking and solutions have helped the foundation solve tough global challenges from education and poverty to contraception and sanitation.
#6. Mary Barra, CEO, General Motors
General Motors is one of the big three automakers in the U.S., and Mary Barra is the first women CEO to lead it. GM has consistently scored high in gender equity reports; in 2018, it was one of only two global organizations with no gender pay gap. She reformed the company in several ways since she took over in 2014.
#7. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker, House of Representatives, United States
Pelosi is one of the best speakers of the U.S. House of Representatives. She started to serve her third term as speaker in 2019, where she previously held the position from 2007 to 2011. Her impeccable role makes her the highest-ranking elected woman in the country and the second-in-line for the presidency.
#8. Ana Patricia Botín, Executive Chairman, Santander
Botín has been appointed as the company's chair in 2014, after the sudden demise of her father, Emilio. However, she stood challenging than anyone ever anticipated. She pulled off a coup in 2017 when Santander procured failing Banco Popular (BP) for 1 euro to become Spain's largest bank.
#9. Abigail Johnson, CEO, Fidelity Investments
Abigail Johnson has worked as CEO of Fidelity Investments group since 2014. She took over her father and has been chairman since 2016. She owns an estimate 24.5% stake in the organization, which has nearly $2.9 trillion in managed assets. Johnson is a true embodiment of starting from the beginning. She worked summers as an intern at Fidelity through college and later joined full-time as an analyst in 1988 after acquiring a Harvard M.B.A.
#10 Gail Boudreaux, President and CEO, Anthem
Gail Boudreaux was selected CEO of Anthem in 2017. She served previously as CEO of UnitedHealthcare, the largest division within UnitedHealth Group. Anthem is the most prominent for-profit managed health care company in the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and provides health insurance in the United States. With her industry expertise, Gail has gained applause from peers and Wall Street alike for her work!!
Looking at these beautiful divas tackling the fronts of the world, amuse us and inspire us!!
