Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission

“Today’s most powerful women are leading on the world stage across every industry and sphere of influence,” said Moira Forbes, Executive Vice President, Forbes. “In a year marked by uncertainty and volatility, women’s power is being leveraged beyond economic and political might to transform industries and solve society's most urgent issues.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tops this year’s list, closely followed by European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde. Both women rose in the ranking this year in recognition of the critical role they played in galvanizing EU member states to support Ukraine following the Russian invasion. Von der Leyen, who replaces novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott as No. 1, said that supporting Ukraine comes at a high cost but freedom was "priceless."

“Ursula von der Leyen’s influence is unique—no one else on the list formulates policy on behalf of 450 million people—but her commitment to a free and democratic society is not,” says Maggie McGrath, editor of ForbesWomen. “Von der Leyen is just one face of the biggest storyline of 2022: women acting as stalwarts for democracy.”

Members of the 2022 ranking represent women in six categories: business, technology, finance, media & entertainment, politics & policy, and philanthropy. Those featured are builders, disruptors, and innovators in every sector, from corporate to creative worlds, taking a modern, forward-looking view on power.

This year’s list sees more women than ever before leading the world’s financial markets. With inflation and the growing threat of a global recession both rising, the list highlights women at the helm of the most influential financial institutions steering monetary policy, from Kristalina Georgieva at the International Monetary Fund to Janet Yellen at the U.S. Treasury.

Giorgia Meloni is the most notable newcomer on this year’s list. She was recently elected as Italy’s first female Prime Minister, taking charge of the fourth largest economy in the EU and the eighth largest economy globally.

Other newcomers include Netflix’s Global Head of TV, Bela Bajaria, philanthropist and music legend Dolly Parton, Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley and Tesla Chair Robin Denholm. Returning to the list this year are showrunner Shonda Rhimes and the Co-CEO of Chinese insurance giant Ping An, Jessica Tan.

The symbolic No. 100 went to Jina ‘Mahsa’ Amini, the 22-year-old Iranian woman whose death in police custody sparked the most significant protests in Iran since the 1979 revolution, and this marks the list’s first posthumous honor. Amini’s inclusion represents the collective power of thousands of women who are not only speaking out against the mandatory hijab and Iran’s morality police but ultimately calling for a revolutionary regime change.

Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II dropped off the ranking for the first time following her passing in September at the age of 96. The late Queen left a legacy as the longest reigning British monarch and the longest verified reigning female monarch in history. Another list mainstay, Sheryl Sandberg, dropped off this year after stepping down as COO of Meta.

To compile the list, Forbes looks at hard power (currencies and constitutions) and (dynamic power) (audiences, communities and creative influence). Forbes applied four metrics to determine who makes the cut: money, media, impact and spheres of influence.

Featured stories within the Most Powerful Women package include:

• Meet The World’s Most Powerful Woman: Ursula Von Der Leyen, President Of The European • Commission

• Mahsa Amini: The Spark That Ignited A Women-Led Revolution

• How Some Of The World’s Most Powerful Women Are Fighting For Reproductive Rights

• Why Janet Yellen Is About To Become Even More Powerful

• Power Rising: These Are The Women To Watch In 2023

For the full list of the 2022 100 Most Powerful Women, visit: The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women

About Forbes

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