Ursula von der Leyen Tops Forbes’ 19th Annual Ranking of the World’s Most Powerful Women

“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 US 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.

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