March8 T100 - Inspirational Women 2022

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Discussing how to support women in STEM, build the talent pipeline and inspire the next generation of female leaders.

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HELLO & WELCOME We at MARCH8 are proud to reveal our Top 100 Inspirational Women 2022. nside, you will find a range of truly inspirational women, from environmental advocates to highly successful business women, and sporting sensations to pioneering scientists – all of whom educate, motivate and elevate others.

Narrowing down 100 women was no mean feat – afterall, our mission at March8 is to share the stories of all successful women, no matter what path they find themselves on. However, those listed truly stood out for us for many different reasons – some have achieved phenomenal business milestones, other’s steered companies through the global pandemic, and a few are using the most powerful tool they have to change the world: their voice.

Through this magazine, we hope that you will learn new names that are working hard to bring positive change, while also discovering more about the well-known faces we all know and love.

So without further ado, in alphabetical order, please enjoy our selection of today’s most influential women.

LUCY BUCHHOLZ lucy.buchholz@bizclikmedia.com MARCH8.COM

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Abby Johnson

• Since 2014, Abby has sat at the helm of Fidelity Investments – she became chairman two years later.

• Abby owns an estimated 24.5% stake of Fidelity Investments, which has US$4.2tn in managed assets.

• In 2021, she was named as one of the most powerful women in business, by Forbes.

Abisoye Ajayi - Akinfolarin SOCIAL IMPACT ENTREPRENEUR

• Abisoye Ajayi-Akinfolarin is the founder and CEO of Pearls Africa Youth Foundation, a non-profit organisation working to educate girls and women in underserved communities.

COURTESY ABISOYE AJAYI-AKINFOLARIN

• Abisoye focuses on educating, youth development and public leadership, by equipping young girls and women in Africa with functional digital skills and mentorships.

• Pearls Africa’s flagship initiative, GirlsCoding, has trained girls from some of the poorest communities in Nigeria.

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DREW ANGERER / STAFF | GETTY IMAGES NEWS | VIA GETTY IMAGES

CHAIRMAN AND CEO FIDELITY INVESTMENTS

TOP 100 WOMEN

Alessandra Sala DIRECTOR OF AI DATA SCIENCE SHUTTERSTOCK

ALESSANDRA SALA | TWITTER

• Italian computer scientist Alessandra Sala is passionate about making the artificial intelligence sector more inclusive for women.

• She is an ambassador for Women in AI Ireland and as the Global President of Women in AI, both are non-profit organisations striving to improve gender inclusivity in AI. • In 2021, Alessandra was the recipient of the XV International Prize "Le Tecnovisionarie" in the AI - Industrial Research category.

BIO There seems to be no limit to Alessandra’s ambition. Studying at the University of Salerno, Alessandra earned a Laurea in computer science, completed a doctorate and then pursued postdoctoral research at the University of California. She then joined Bell Labs, where she worked her way up the ladder to become Head of Analytics Research.

As the Director of AI and Data Science at Shutterstock, Alessandra specialises in distributing algorithms for graph theory, social network analysis, and data privacy. She is also on the Technology Advisory Board Member at CeADAR and a board member of Nokia AI.

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Alex Morgan

SOCCER PLAYER SAN DIEGO WAVE FÚTBOL CLUB

• Throughout her career, Alex has seen many successes, including scoring goals in FIFA Women’s World Cup finals and semi-finals, and representing the US at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

• Alex also landed a deal with NIKE, which includes remarkable maternity leave protection and 18 months guaranteed pay.

ERIK DROST, FLICKR

• In 2021, Alex returned to Orlando Pride where she was awarded NWSL Player of the Month for the second time in her career.

Alex Scott

• Alex made 140 appearances for the English national football team and represented Great Britain in the London 2012 Olympic Games.

• Alex was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for her services to football.

• In late 2021 Alex became the host of BBC One’s ‘The Tournament’, where she has actively spoken out to increase diversity in the media.

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JOE MAHER / STRINGER | GETTY IMAGES ENTERTAINMENT | VIA GETTY IMAGES

FOOTBALL PLAYER AND PRESENTER ARSENAL FOOTBALL CLUB

Amal Clooney BARRISTER

• Alongside husband George, Amal has pledged to use her fame to push justice globally for women, children, LGBT+ people, religious minorities and journalists.

• Amal is a co-founder and President of The Clooney Foundation, which advocates justice through accountability for human rights abuses around the world.

LEON NEAL / STAFF | GETTY IMAGES NEWS | VIA GETTY IMAGES

• The Cut also described Amal as the 'consummate feminist superhero', for being a long-standing advocate for championing women's rights worldwide.

BIO The barrister had a turbulent upbringing of her own, as her family were forced to flee Lebanon during the war of 1982 - they later settled in Buckinghamshire, UK. After graduating from the University of Oxford, UK, with a Bachelor of Laws degree, Amal moved to the US to obtain her Masters of Law at New York University, qualifying her to practice law in both countries.

A long-standing ADVOCATE for championing WOMEN'S RIGHTS worldwide MARCH8.COM

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Amanda Blanc GROUP CEO AVIVA

• Aviva provides retirement, saving and insurance services to 18 million people and now has a 23% share of the UK life and savings market.

• During her time at AXA, she was voted as the UK Insurer CEO's CEO of the Year in 2013 and 2015.

AVIVA, AMANDA BLANC

• In 2020, Amanda became a board member for Aviva, the UK’s largest insurance company, and took over as CEO a few months later, in July.

Amanda Gorman AMERICAN POET

• She has continued her work to address feminism, Black identity, climate change and marginalisation.

• In 2017 she became the inaugural National Youth Poet Laureate, and she toured the US reading a number of different poems, including “Earthrise” at the Los Angeles Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training.

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FLICKR MC1 | CREDIT: CARLOS M. VAZQUEZ II; OCJCS

• Amanda gained fame at US President Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration for reading her poem, “The Hill We Climb”.

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Amani Ballour

• From 2016 to 2018, Dr Amani ran an underground hospital referred to as “the cave” during Syria’s civil war.

• Dr Amani became the administrator of the cave, where she deepened the bunkers, created more clinics and made a cemetary.

• She aspired to follow in the footsteps of her brothers and set her heart on becoming a mechanical engineer. But this wasn’t seen as an appropriate career for a woman, so she was influenced to pursue a career in medicine.

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SYRIAN ACTIVIST AND PAEDIATRICIAN

Ana Patricia Botín

• In 2010, Ana was appointed as the CEO of Santander UK, and after the sudden death of her father in 2014, she became the chair of the company.

• She was appointed as the president of the European Banking Federation in early 2021.

• Ana is a member of the Board of Directors of The Coca-Cola Company and she sits on the Advisory Board of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

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JUAN MANUEL SERRANO ARCE / STRINGER | GETTY IMAGES NEWS | VIA GETTY IMAGES

EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN SANTANDER GROUP

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Angela Merkel

FORMER CHANCELLOR OF GERMANY

• In 2005, Angela became Germany’s first female Chancellor, a position she held for four terms for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

• During her term in office, Angela was able to overcome numerous political and structural problems, financial crises, and to resolve several immigrant crises.

• After 16 years in power, Angela left office on September 7, 2021, marking the end of her era in global politics.

OMER MESSINGER / STRINGER | GETTY IMAGES NEWS | VIA GETTY IMAGES

BIO Graduating with a physics degree from Karl Marx University in 1978, Angela worked as a member of the academic faculty at the Central Institute of Physical Chemistry, and went on to obtain a doctorate in quantum chemistry in 1986.

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After the fall of the Berlin wall in 1989, Angela changed her path and pursued a career in politics.

She joined the Democratic Awakening, a newlyfound party, and briefly served as a spokesperson. In the post-reunification election in 1990, Angela won a seat in the lower house of parliament representing Stralsund-Rügen-Grimmen. One year later she was appointed minister for women and youth.

As Germany’s first female Chancellor, Angela saw many successes – from standing up to Donald Trump to allowing more than a million Syrian refugees into Germany, her bold, clear-headed decisions have enabled her to earn respect from leaders across the globe.

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Her BOLD, CLEARHEADED DECISIONS have enabled her to EARN RESPECT from leaders across the globe

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Angelina Jolie

• For over a decade, Angelina has worked tirelessly to advocate human rights and women’s rights across the globe.

• Named as the Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in 2001 for her service to war refugees, Angelina visited more than 30 countries to assist those who fell victim to natural disasters and conflict.

• With William Hague, Angelina founded the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI).

Antoinette Boateng

DIRECTOR OF EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION WARNER MUSIC GROUP

• Warner Music Group (WMG) appointed Antoinette Boateng as the Director of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), Europe.

CHANTAL AZARI – STN LENS

• Antoinette sat at the helm of her own company, Neo State, which worked with a number of world-renowned clients, such as Marks and Spencers and the Royal Institute of British Architects.

• Through Neo State, Antoinette worked with governments on public policies, such as improving social mobility policies and LGBTQ+ equality in West Africa.

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ALEX WONG / STAFF | GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA | VIA GETTY IMAGES

ACTRESS AND ACTIVIST

TOP 100 WOMEN

Arianna Huffington CO-FOUNDER HUFFINGTON POST

• Arianna launched the world-renowned news platform, The Huffington Post in 2005.

JOHN SCIULLI / STRINGER | GETTY IMAGES ENTERTAINMENT | VIA GETTY IMAGES

• She has written 15 books, her most poignant being 2007’s On Becoming Fearless...In Love, Work, and Life.

in 1997, with him coming out as bisexual the following year. As is her trademark, Arianna was fearless – switching allegiance to the Democrats and launching The Huffington Post in 2005 to the derision of some. How she proved them wrong. The incredibly successful blog content website took on the traditional news media incumbents and beat them at their own game – including winning a Pulitzer Prize in 2012.

• When Arianna collapsed from exhaustion during the peak of The Huffington Post’s powers, she was led to rethink her priorities. In 2016 she launched Thrive Global – a platform that offers sciencebased solutions to beat stress.

BIO Aged 21 and living in the UK, Arianna fell in love with a famous journalist twice her age, Bernard Levin. She left him aged 30 to pursue having children. Arianna moved to the US and married Republican senator candidate Michael Huffington, gaining influence in political circles, before they divorced

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Ava DuVernay • Award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay didn’t pick up a camera until she was 32.

• Ava was the first African American woman to win Best Director at the Sundance Film Festival, and receive a nomination for a Golden Globe Best Director award. Some of Ava’s most well-known works include “Middle of Nowhere” (2012) and “Selma” (2014) • She is also the founder of ARRAY, a grassroots organisation which boosts the work of people of colour and women from all walks of life.

Avril Haines

DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE

• In 2013, President Obama nominated Avril to serve as Legal Adviser of the Department of State.

• She served as Deputy National Security Advisor, and Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the Obama administration. She was the first woman to hold both positions.

• Avril was confirmed as the first female Director of National Intelligence, and President Joe Biden’s first official cabinet member in 2021.

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KEVIN DIETSCH / STAFF | GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA | VIA GETTY IMAGES

STEPHANIE MORENO/GRADY COLLEGE OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATIONS FOR PEABODY AWARDS/UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

US FILMMAKER

Ayesha Malik

SUPREME COURT JUDGE • Justice Ayesha has been appointed and sworn into Pakistan’s Supreme Court, making her the first female in the country’s history to hold the position.

• She now sits on the bench alongside 16 male colleagues.

INDIA TODAY

• Justice Ayesha is a real-life example to thousands of girls and women in Pakistan, inspiring them to follow their dreams.

BIO Ayesha first came to the world's attention when she outlawed “virginity tests” for rape victims in Pakistan during the summer of 2021. The test was deeply invasive, medically discredited and reinforced Pakistan’s struggle to achieve justice for sexual assault victims.

OUTLAWED “VIRGINITY TESTS” for rape victims in Pakistan DURING THE SUMMER OF 2021 As a member of the International Association of Women Judges, Ayesha speaks out about the inequalities and abuse that Pakistani women face. She also became the President of the committee for the protection of women judges in Lahore.

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Carol Tomé

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER UPS • Taking the world by storm, Carol Tomé stepped out of retirement in 2020 to pursue her dream role as the first female CEO at global shipping and logistics services company UPS. • During her first 100 days as CEO, she prepared the logistics for the 2020 holiday season and the eventual delivery of a COVID vaccine. UPS therefore emerged as an essential service during the pandemic.

UPS. COM

• Carol has been working to change the way UPS operates to promote its

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strategy of being a customer-first, people-led, and innovation-driven organisation.

BIO For the majority of her career, Carol worked at Home Depot, where she worked with every CEO in the company’s history, starting with co-founders Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, Robert Nardelli, Frank Blake and Craig Menear. In 2001 she was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

During her 24 years at the company, Home Depot grew from 400 stores to a staggering 2,200, with a revenue of nearly US$5bn.

Cathie Wood

• Cathie Wood founded US$60bn (assets) ARK Investment Management, which invests in innovations, such as genomics and self-driving cars.

• Ark Innovation Fund has returned an average of nearly 45% annually over the past five years.

• For 12 years, Cathie was CIO of Global Thematic Strategies at AllianceBernstein, where she managed over US$5bn.

Christine Lagarde PRESIDENT EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK

• Christine Lagarde made history as the first woman to head the European Central Bank.

• For almost eight years, between 2011 and 2019, Christine ran the International Monetary Fund, which works to ensure the stability of the global monetary system - she was the first woman to hold the position.

• She was also celebrated for calling for gender reform in male dominated industries, through analysis of the 2008 financial crisis.

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LINKEDIN

CINDY ORD / STRINGER | GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA | VIA GETTY IMAGES

FOUNDER AND CEO ARK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT

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Deborah Meaden ENTREPRENEUR

• Best known from BBC’s Dragon’s Den, Deborah Meaden revealed in 2021, that she has seen a positive return of just under £5mn worth of investments over the last 15 years.

• During the show, she made 26 investments totalling £1,650,000.

• Deborah is an Ambassador for Lendwithcare, the Marine Conservation Society, and Compassion in World Farming. She is also a fellow of the WWF.

After a string of further failures, she saw an opportunity in the amusement sector, where she worked her way up the ranks. Deciding to move to Weststar Holidays, she was promoted to Managing Director within two years, keeping 23% of the shares when the business sold in 2007.

Her next venture was to establish an online British luxury goods retailer, The Merchant Fox in 2011. Since then she has also appeared on a number of other television shows, such as “The Speaker”, “Hustle”, and “Frank Skinner’s Room 101”.

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JEFF SPICER / STRINGER | GETTY IMAGES ENTERTAINMENT | VIA GETTY IMAGES

BIO After graduating from Brighton Technical College, she moved to Italy to launch her first start-up ceramic business.

Although she saw some success, the company only lasted 18 months.

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PRESIDENT CHILE’S CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

• Elisa Loncón Antileo was elected as one of the representatives of the Mapuche people for the Chilean Constitutional Convention, in 2021.

• Elisa was later elected President of the Constitutional Convention.

• The UN applauded Elisa’s work in 2017, urging the Chilean government to cease using the Anti-Terrorism Law against Mapuche activists.

BIO Born in the southern Araucanía region of Chile during the 1970s, Elisa grew up walking

8km to get to school. Her mother was a housemaid, and her father a carpenter – they often struggled to feed Elisa and her six siblings.

Elisa went on to achieve a PhD in Humanities from the University of Leiden, Netherlands, and a second PhD in Literature from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. She later became a full-time professor at the University of Santiago.

CLAUDIO SANTANA / STRINGER | GETTY IMAGES SOUTH AMERICA | VIA GETTY IMAGES

Elisa Loncón Antileo

But Elisa didn’t forget her roots, as she frequently travelled back to Chile to defend the Mapuche, a group of Indigenous inhabitants. Her activism efforts earned her one of 17 seats for representatives of native peoples in the Constitutional Convention, an organisation that will write a new constitution aiming to improve the deep-rooted inequality and injustice in Chile.

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Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in British history

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Queen Elizabeth II • Born into royalty as the daughter of the second son of King George V, Elizabeth became queen on February 6 1952 and was crowned on June 2 1953.

Queen Elizabeth II is the longest reigning monarch in British history, and she is Head of the Commonwealth.

• She is the mother of Prince Charles, who will be the heir to the throne, and grandmother to Princes William and Harry.

BIO In 1936, Elizabeth’s grandfather died, meaning his eldest son King Edward VIII was next in line to inherit the throne. However, Edward had fallen in love with American divorcée Wallis Simpson, which forced him to choose between the crown and his heart. He chose the latter, and abdicated the crown.

This unprecedented event made Elizabeth the heir presumptive to the British crown. Her father sat on the throne in 1937 and died 15 years later in 1952, when Elizabeth became Queen.

After World War II, Elizabeth guided the transformation of the Commonwealth by rapidly accelerating the process. With husband Prince Phillip, Elizabeth visited a number of Commonwealth countries, including a groundbreaking trip to Germany in 1965, and was appointed Head of the Commonwealth.

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CHRIS JACKSON / STAFF | CHRIS JACKSON COLLECTION | VIA GETTY IMAGERS

• She has been highly celebrated for modernising the monarchy, while maintaining the traditional elements associated with the crown to satisfy a sensitive and ever-changing public.

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Emma Raducanu • As Wimbledon’s wildcard, Emma Raducanu is currently Britain's number one tennis player and is ranked number 19 by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA).

• She stands as the reigning champion of the US Open, and is the first British woman in 44 years to win a Grand Slam singles title in the US Open.

• Emma was awarded BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2021.

Emma Watson

ACTRESS AND ACTIVIST

• Before being appointed the UN’s Women Goodwill Ambassador in 2014, Emma had been involved in advocating education opportunities for girls, specifically in Bangladesh and Zambia.

• Emma is also the ambassador for One Young World and OMGYes. • Her work with the UN’s HeForShe campaign aims to achieve gender equality by encouraging stakeholders to take action against negative labelling. To promote fair trade and organic fashion, Emma launched her brand People Tree.

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CLIVE BRUNSKILL / STAFF | GETTY IMAGES ASIAPAC | VIA GETTY IMAGES

TENNIS PLAYER

TOP 100 WOMEN

Gail Boudreaux

BIO With more than three decades in the healthcare industry, Gail has achieved a phenomenal record of successfully leading multi-billion dollar businesses.

• During her time as CEO at United Healthcare, Gail was responsible for US$120bn in revenue and more than 60,000 employees who served 45 million consumers.

As the President and CEO of Anthem, Inc, Gail sits at the helm of a company that serves more than 43 million insured members through its affiliated health plans. Over 107 million lives are served through its broad portfolio of services subsidiaries and health insurances, making Anthem the second-largest company in the US with a female CEO.

PRESIDENT AND CEO ANTHEM, INC.

COURTESY ANTHEMINC

• In 2017, Gail founded Anthem, Inc, which after just a matter of years became one of the largest healthcare companies in the US. • Modern Healthcare has named Gail one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.

Before Gail launched Anthem, United Healthcare named Gail as the Executive Vice President in 2005, and three years later she was appointed CEO.

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Gita Gopinath

DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND

• She was appointed as the first female Deputy Managing Director in 2021, taking the position in January 2022.

• Gita was previously the co-editor of the American Economic Review and is currently the co-editor of the Handbook of International Economics.

Greta Thunberg CLIMATE ACTIVIST

• Greta inspired thousands to act against climate change through the Fridays for Future movement, which brought attention to the environmental crimes of banks, businesses, and governments. On Friday 15 March 2019, 1.6 million people across the globe joined her.

• Greta has been nominated not once, but twice for the Nobel Peace Prize.

• She also delivered a powerful speech earlier this year at COP26, holding world leaders accountable for climate action.

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CHRISTOPHER FURLONG / STAFF | GETTY IMAGES EUROPE | VIA GETTY IMAGES

CREATOR: CORY HANCOCK | FLICKR

• Indian-American Gita Gopinath has served as the Chief Economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMG) since 2019.

Halima Aden

• Redefining traditional beauty standards, hijabwearing model Halima has been striving to diversify the modelling industry by improving the visibility of underrepresented demographics - specifically Muslim women.

• Halima has been a pioneer for a number of social issues, including race, human rights and diversity since becoming the first model to wear a hijab on an international runway in 2016.

• Halima recently signed a deal as the global brand ambassador of modest fashion retailer, Modanisa, to remain a positive influence for aspiring Muslim models.

Hamilton Bennett SENIOR DIRECTOR MODERNA

• Hamilton Bennett led a team to produce one of the first COVID-19 vaccines.

• Hamilton’s focus and dedication to COVID-19, allowed the Moderna vaccine to reach clinical trials within 63 days. By December 2020, it was given FDA emergency use authorisation.

• After the phase 2 and 3 trials were dubbed a success, Moderna reported an efficacy rate of 94.1%. By the end of 2021, Moderna produced more than 800mn doses.

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MODEL AND ACTIVIST

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BIO

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FORMER CEO PEPSICO

• Indra worked for PepsiCo for 24 years— half of which she spent at the helm.

• As PepsiCo’s first female CEO, Indra introduced healthier products and more environmentally friendly practices.

• Under Indra's leadership, the company revenues increased from US$35bn in 2006 to a staggering US$63.5bn in 2017.

BIO After growing up in India, Indra obtained her MBA from Yale University.

She then went on to spend six years at the Boston Consulting Group, and later held executive positions at Motorola, Inc and Asea Brown Boveri.

In 1994, Indra joined PepsiCo where she started as Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Development, moving to President and Chief Financial Officer in 2001.

During this period, she was responsible for the company’s major reconstruction, which included the company’s spin-off of its major restaurants, including KFC and Pizza Hut, while overseeing the acquisition of Tropicana Products and a merger with Quaker Oats Co.

RYAN PIERSE / STAFF | GETTY IMAGES ASIAPAC | VIA GETTY IMAGES

After spending an impressive 24 years with PepisCo, Indra NEARLY DOUBLED SALES

Indra Nooyi

After spending an impressive 24 years with PepisCo, Indra nearly doubled sales, thwarted a bid to break up the company and improved it’s sustainability credentials.

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Jacinda Ardern PRIME MINISTER NEW ZEALAND

• Jacinda is not only New Zealand’s youngest ever female Prime Minister, but also the second world leader to give birth while in office.

• During the COVID pandemic, Jacinda was praised for her swift yet strict response – the nation of 5 million people only saw 25 deaths.

• In 2021, Jacinda also introduced three days of bereavement leave for parents after a miscarriage or stillbirth.

BIO During her time as Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda has become an example for governments around the world due to her exceptional leadership. In fact during the pandemic, Jacinda took a 20% pay cut to ‘close the gap’, impressing Queen Elizabeth who called her directly to praise her for her hard work.

NEW ZEALAND LABOUR PARTY

She was also highly praised for her response to the Christchurch shooting.

Jacinda banned military-style semi-automatics less than a month after the event.

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Jacqui Rock

CHIEF COMMERCIAL OFFICER NHS TEST & TRACE

• She then joined the Ministry of Defence as director for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, where she was responsible for £4bn annual investment.

• Jacqui later played a crucial role in the development of the NHS Test & Trace for the UK Government during her time as Chief Commercial Officer.

Jameela Jamil

ACTRESS AND ACTIVIST

• Jameela has become an advocate for women, particularly through maintaining a ‘real’, unedited social media presence, and by speaking out about body positivity.

RICH FURY / STAFF | GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA | VIA GETTY IMAGES

EVELYN HUANG, BIZCLIK MEDIA

• Jacqui worked for 30 years in the Financial Services industry where she held multiple executive positions with the likes of Credit Suisse, JP Morgan and Barclays.

• In 2018, Jameela founded iWeigh, a platform which aims to connect, empower and amplify diverse voices in an accessible way.

• Jameela partnered with The Body Shop’s Self-Love Uprising Campaign to encourage young girls and women to speak their truths and to be confident that they are ‘enough’.

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Jamie Chadwick RACE CAR DRIVER

PHOTO BY CHRIS GRAYTHEN/GETTY IMAGES

• Jamie Chadwick first sat behind the wheel when she was just 11 years old, in 2010.

• Jamie made history as the first female driver to win a British F3, and then again in 2019 when she became the first female to win the MFR title.

• In March 2021, it was announced that Jamie would continue as a development driver for the Williams Formula One team. Yet her most recent triumph was when she was crowned 2021 W Series Champion after a tense finale at the Circuit of The Americas.

Jane Fraser

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CITIGROUP

• Jane became CEO of Citigroup on March 1, 2021 and on her very first day in office made a public pledge that Citigroup Inc. would achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2050.

• Before Jane was named as the company’s CEO, she served as President of Citigroup and CEO of Global Consumer Banking.

SUPPLIED / ON FILE

• A McKinsey consultant turned financial executive, Jane is renowned for having a ‘solid track record’ and for being a ‘fixer’, having worked her way through key business units at Citi, leaving each in a better state than she found it.

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Janet Mock

TRANSGENDER ACTIVIST

• Janet made history when she signed a historic deal with Netflix, making her the first transgender person to sign a production pact with a major studio.

• She is also the author of two memoirs, Redefining Realness (2014) and Surpassing Certainty (2017) — both titles detail her journey as a trans woman.

FRAZER HARRISON / STAFF | GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA | VIA GETTY IMAGES

• In 2021, Janet was set to direct The International Sweethearts of Rhythm for Sony Pictures.

BIO Janet is the Emmynominated writer, Director and Executive Producer for the FX drama series Pose, and the Netflix limited series Hollywood and Monster. Janet has been frequently praised for her dedication to activism — she was awarded the Sylvia Rivera Activist Award by the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, and the Feminist Press honored her activism at the Women and Power Gala. In 2021, Janet was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, for her work on Pose.

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Jiawen Li

ENGINEER AND RESEARCHER • As an inventor and highly adaptable biomedical engineer, Dr Jiawen Li has become the leader of the intravascular imaging programme in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) at the University of Adelaide, Australia.

• Before turning 30, Jiawen began to establish her own independent research programmes, which develops novel imaging devices to understand how plaques evolve, how they cause heart attacks, and how they respond to different treatments.

L’ORÉAL-UNESCO

• She was selected as a Fellow of NHMRC, National Heart Foundation and L’Oréal-UNESCO, while also securing >US$2mn research funding as the lead chief investigator (CIA). She is now a Senior Lecturer in the School of EEE at The University of Adelaide.

Joann Lublin

• Joann was the former News Editor of The Wall Street Journal’s London bureau, and the former Deputy Bureau Chief — the first woman to hold the position.

• Joann was a member of the Journal’s team awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2003, for stories that exposed corporate scandals.

• She was also awarded the Gerald Loeb Lifetime Achievement Award, business journalism’s highest honour.

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EDITOR AND AUTHOR

TOP 100 WOMEN

Joanna Lumley • Dame Joanna Lumley was born in India, as her father had fought with the British army’s 6th Gurkha Rifles in World War II. Throughout her life, she has been an inspirational activist for a number of causes, including the Gurkha Justice Campaign.

• She was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and was elevated to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours List.

• Joanna has appeared in films such as Ella Enchanted (2004), The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) and The Picture of Dorian Gray (2021).

Julie Sweet CHAIR AND CEO ACCENTURE

• In 2019, Julie became the CEO of Accenture. Her first year saw over US$44.3bn in revenue and US$5.1bn in profit — a growth of 7% from the previous year.

• Promoting women’s rights has always been a priority for Julie, and during her time at Accenture, she set aggressive targets to work towards gender parity.

• Julie also serves on the World Economic Forum Board of Trustees and on the Board of Directors for the Business Roundtable.

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ACTRESS AND ACTIVIST

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VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

• Although Kamala is a California native, she is the daughter of immigrant parents.

• In 2016, she made history by becoming the first Indian-American woman to be elected to the United States Senate.

• She made history again in 2021, when she became the first woman, the first Black person, and the first South AsianAmerican to become US Vice President.

BIO “Kamala Harris, for the people,” were the words spoken by Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris the first time she stood in court. And both before and after this statement, she has been true to her word.

After devoting her working life to public services, Kamala was elected to the United States Senate in 2016, and is now US Vice President. In her first speech as Senate in 2017, Kamala spoke out about immigrants and refugees, and went on to champion legislation to reform cash bail, combat hunger, provide rent relief, improve maternal health care, and address the climate crisis.

LAWRENCE JACKSON

Together, Kamala and President Joe Biden AIM TO UNITE THE AMERICAN NATION

Kamala Harris

Together, Kamala and President Joe Biden aim to unite the American nation.

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Karen Lynch

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CVS HEALTH • Leading more than 300,000 colleagues who are paving the way to transform the health care industry, Karen Lynch was appointed as CVS Health’s CEO in 2021.

COURTESY OF WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM ©

• CVS Health touches the lives of more than 100 million people through 9,900 pharmacies, 1,000 MinuteClinics and HealthHub locations, and 34 million people who use CVS’s health care services and products.

• The company has played a fundamental role in America’s response to the COVID pandemic by testing solutions and aiding vaccine administration across the country — it is also responsible for the largest number of independent COVID testing sites in the US.

Kate Bingham

FORMER CHAIR UK VACCINE TASKFORCE

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• Kate chaired the UK Government’s Vaccine Taskforce during the 2020 COVID pandemic, steering the procurement and deployment of vaccines.

• Kate organised a portfolio of seven vaccines that used four different underlying technologies.

• The UK emerged as a leader in vaccinating the population, with more than 60% of its adult population receiving at least one dose by May 2021.

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Kate Middleton

DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE

• Alongside husband Prince William, Kate is a co-founder of The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, which allows her to direct her own philanthropic work.

• In 2021, she was announced as the patron of The Forward Trust.

• Kate’s charitable patronages include the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH), Action for Children, the Natural History Museum, to name a few.

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BIO The Duchess of Cambridge, born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton, is widely loved for her elegance, grace and charitable work. The Duchess, met Prince William at St Andrews University — the pair married in April 2011. Now, the Duke and Duchess have three beautiful children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The Duchess devotes a great amount of time to charitable causes and organisations, many of which help to provide children with the best possible start to life.

Much of her work is committed to raising awareness of children’s mental health and emotional wellbeing, demonstrating how factors such as addiction, poverty, abuse and neglect can have long-lasting effects. Her efforts have been known as “the Kate effect”.

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Kathy Sullivan SCIENTIST, ASTRONAUT AND EXPLORER

• Kathy became the first woman to walk in space for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

• After joining NASA in 1978, she embarked on her first spaceflight aboard the space shuttle Challenger on the STS-41G mission. During the mission, she joined David Leetsma for a 3.5 hour space walk.

• In 2020, she made history by diving to the deepest point of the ocean, making her the only person to travel to both outer space and the deepest parts of the ocean.

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BIO After a 25-year career at NASA, Kathy pursued a different path, becoming the Chief Scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). She was later named as the President and CEO of the Center of Science and Industry, a science museum in Columbus, Ohio. She was appointed as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction and Deputy Administrator of NOAA, by President Barack Obama.

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Katie Taylor

• Katie’s boxing career began when she was just 12 years old. At 15, she saw her first officially sanctioned female boxing match in Ireland at the National Stadium, defeating Alanna Audley.

• In November 2020, Katie was ranked by BoxRec as the World's Best Active Female lightweight and the best active female, pound-for-pound by BoxRec and The Ring.

• She has also frequently spoken out about the pay gap between male and female boxers, which she is passionate about closing.

Kirsten Green

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FOUNDER AND MANAGING PARTNER FORERUNNER VENTURES • Kirsten became the Founder and Managing Partner of Forerunner Ventures, after more than 20 years in the investment industry.

• She has successfully spearheaded efforts to raise over US$1bn from leading institutional investors and invested in more than 100 companies.

• Currently, Kirsten sits on the board of Ritual, Glossier, Curated, The Yes, Prose, Faire, and Hims & Hers, and she has previously served on the board of Dollar Shave Club and Bonobos.

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PROFESSIONAL BOXER

Leena Nair

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER CHANEL

• In December 2021, French fashion house Chanel appointed Leena as the brand’s new CEO. She took the position in January 2022.

• During her time as VP HR South Asia for Unilever, Leena embedded performance culture and introduced a number of innovations to help women rejoin the workforce after career breaks.

When she started at Unilever, only 2% of employees were women. She eventually made her way up the ranks holding a number of positions, including Global Senior Vice President for Leadership and Organisational Development and Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion.

Her final role at Unilever was CHRO, where she was the first female and youngest-ever to hold the position in the company’s history. While announcing Leena’s exit from the company, Unilever CEO Alan Jope described her as a ‘driving force’ for the company’s equity, diversity and inclusion agenda and the transformation of their leadership development.

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SHINYKATIE | CREATIVECOMMONS.ORG/LICENSES/BY-SA/4.0/DEED.EN

• Leena was featured in Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women 2021 and was a member of the Unilever Leadership Executive.

• BIO After studying Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering, Leena pursued a MBA in Human Resources from Xavier School of Management, helping to secure her first role as Management Trainee at Unilever in 1992.

And from there, her career blossomed.

TOP 100 WOMEN

A ‘DRIVING FORCE’ for the company’s equity, diversity and inclusion agenda — Alan Jope, Unilever CEO

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Leymah Gbowee LIBERIAN PEACE ACTIVIST

• Leymah is known for playing a pivotal role in ending Liberia’s fourteen-year civil war, while paving the way for the election of Africa’s first female head of state, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

• In 2012, Leymah launched the Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa (GPFA), a non-profit organisation that provides leadership and educational development opportunities for girls and women.

• After recently celebrating the 10-year anniversary of receiving her Nobel Peace Prize in November 2021, Leymah continues to be a strong and inspiring Liberian feminist and peace activitist.

• BIO In her own words, Leymah said that the Liberian civil war, which broke out when she was 17 years old, turned her “from a child into an adult in a matter of hours.”

While her country was in despair, Leymah trained as a social worker and trauma counsellor to help ex-child soldiers. Her work taught her the belief that women should work proactively to restore peace within the next generation, leading her to become a founding member and Liberian Coordinator of the Women in Peacebuilding Network of the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding.

MICHAEL ANGELO

As a person of faith, Leymah lead fellow Christian women to mobilise for peace, while also collaborating with a Muslim partner to build a coalition with Muslim women to spark and interfaith, known as the Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace.

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Lisa Su

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES

• Lisa became Senior Vice President and General Manager at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) in 2012.

• Two years later she was appointed as CEO, and now, is driven by a clear goal: to ensure that the bright engineers at AMD are focused in the hope of solving some of the world’s toughest challenges.

AMD, FLICKER

• Since Lisa has been at the helm of AMD, company stocks have soared by more than 25-fold, reaching a staggering US$110bn market capitalisation as of July 2021.

BIO When most 10-year-olds break remote control cars, it’s by accident. But for Lisa Su, it was to discover exactly how they worked.

So, it should have come as no surprise to Lisa’s parents when she graduated with a PhD in Electrical Engineering from MIT, in 1994. After graduating, Lisa spent most of her early career with IBM, where she worked her way up from a research member of staff. After leaving IBM, Lisa held the position of Chief Technology Officer at Freescale, and then of course, moved to AMD. MARCH8.COM

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Lizzo SINGER

• Lizzo’s breakthrough and platinum-certified album “Cuz I Love You” was released in 2019, which features hits “Good as Hell," "Truth Hurts," and "Juice."

• During her incredibly successful career, Lizzo has collaborated with high-profile artists such as Prince, Clean Bandit and Bastille.

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• Lizzo is known for fearlessly addressing issues of race, sexuality and body positivity.

BIO As an inspirational role model, Lizzo’s message isn’t about getting others to adopt a ‘body positive’ approach, but rather to create a ‘body normative’ acceptance. She explained: “What I don’t like is how the people that this term [body positivity] was created for are not benefiting from it. Girls with back fat, girls with bellies that hang, girls with thighs that aren’t separated, that overlap. Girls with stretch marks. You know, girls who are in the 18-plus club.”

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Lizzo’s message isn’t about getting others to adopt a ‘body positive’ approach, but rather to create a ‘body normative’ acceptance MARCH8.COM

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Luiza Trajano

BUSINESSPERSON AND PHILANTHROPIST

• Luiza was first hired to work for Magazine Luiza (Magalu) as an apprentice by her parents, who founded the company. She worked in a number of different roles until she became CEO in 1991 – she now owns 17% of the company.

• Pursuing her passion for women's rights, Luiza launched Mulheres do Brasil, and became a vocal advocate for equality by encouraging more than 95,000 women to build a better society and support victims of domestic violence.

• In 2021, Magazine Luiza launched a training programme exclusively for Black candidates, in a bid to consolidate corporate diversity.

Macinley Butson AUSTRALIAN INVENTOR

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• At just six years old, Australian Macinley produced her first invention. When she was 19, she created an ultraviolet radiation sticker that can measure the solar UV exposure required to sanitise drinking water.

• Macinley is a renowned speaker, passionate about encouraging young people to prioritise the future by pursuing work in the STEM sector. She has collaborated with large companies, such as TedXYouth and YouTube.

• The teen has won a number of awards for her efforts, including the 2019 Stockholm Junior Water Prize, the InStyle 2019 Woman of Style and NextGen Award, and the 2019 Marie Claire Glass Ceiling Awards Future Shaper.

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MacKenzie Scott PHILANTHROPY

• After divorcing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in 2019, MacKenzie received a 25% stake of the company.

• Shortly after the divorce, MacKenzie shared that she had signed a Giving Pledge, where she promised to give away at least half of her fortune through the course of her lifetime.

• As a former student of Toni Morrison, MacKenzie has also published two novels.

BIO In just over two years, MacKenzie, who is worth US$57bn, has given away US$8.6bn to over 780 organisations, which specifically tackle social issues such as gender equity, racial justice, and public health, to name a few.

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Crucially, MacKenzie employs a ‘no strings attached’ giving style, which grants non-profits complete control over how the donated money is spent. And MacKenzie is showing no signs of slowing down, after sharing: “I have a disproportionate amount of money to share.

I will keep at it until the safe is empty.” Yet it is also her mission to question and challenge the system that enabled her to accumulate this wealth, stating that it is ‘in need of changing’.

MacKenzie has been well-celebrated as one of the world’s most powerful women, but what makes her even more impressive is the fact that she is completely independent; many individuals have boards, bosses or spouses to consider, yet MacKenzie is in complete control of her assets.

TOP 100 WOMEN

In just over two years, MacKenzie, who is worth US$57bn, has GIVEN AWAY US$8.6BN TO OVER 780 ORGANISATIONS

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Madonna SINGER

• As one of the most iconic pop stars of all time, Madonna has influenced singers across numerous generations, including Britney Spears.

• By producing music for over four decades, Madonna has released 88 singles, 24 promotional singles and charted with 16 other songs. While on the road in her career, Madonna grossed an estimated US$1.2bn.

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• At 63 years old, Madonna is known for sending a fierce message: age is just a mindset. But she also actively encouraged women to embrace their femininity, while sparking important conversations about race and cultural appropriation.

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BIO Born into a large AmericanItalian family in Michigan, Madonna clearly always had a passion for performing, which she showcased when studying her Dance degree at the University of Michigan. But the course to true success never did run smooth, as Madonna dropped out of college and moved to New York City. She once said: “It was the first time I'd ever taken a plane, the first time I'd ever gotten a taxi cab.

I came here with $35 in my pocket.

It was the bravest thing I'd ever done." Once she had finally found her bearings, she performed in a number of rock groups, later to be signed by Sire Records.

Malala Yousafzai PAKISTANI ACTIVIST

• Malala is the Founder of the Malala Fund, a charity dedicated to giving every girl an opportunity to achieve a future she chooses.

• In December 2014, she was announced as the youngest ever Nobel laureate after accepting the Nobel Peace Prize.

• In 2020, Malala graduated from Oxford University and continues to fight for the 130 million girls currently out of school.

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BIO Her story begins in 2008 Pakistan, where Malala attended her fathers allgirls school. But the Taliban was soon to take over, stripping citizens of their rights to live freely, banning things such as television and music and prohibiting girls from attending school. Anyone caught defying these rules would face harsh punishments.

Four years later, Malala publicly spoke about girls' right to learn - making herself a walking target. On her way home from school, a masked gunman boarded her school bus and shot her in the left side of the head. Thankfully, Malala survived and woke up 10 days later in a hospital in Birmingham, UK. After a slow road to recovery, Malala realised she had two choices: to live a quiet and peaceful life, or to speak out for girls and women deprived of the right to education. Malala chose the latter.

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Maria Ressa RNESTO DISTEFANO / STRINGER | GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA | VIA GETTY IMAGES

INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST AND FOUNDER RAPPLER

• Maria has become an international symbol of the fight for freedom after co-launching Rappler, the Manila-based digital media company specialising in investigative journalism.

• Rappler interviewed the mayor of Davao City, Rodrigo Duterte, who admitted to killing three people. One year later, he was elected as President of the Philippines, and Rappler was one of the only platforms to criticise his politics.

• In 2021, Maria was awarded The Nobel Peace Prize, for her ‘efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace.

FOREIGN MINISTER OF SUDAN

• For more than three decades, Mariam Al-Mahdi has actively struggled for democracy in her home country of Sudan. She is now known as a leading figure in Sudanese political culture, which is heavily dominated by men.

• Since February 2021, Mariam has held the position of Sudanese Minister of Foreign Affairs.

• Mariam is also the former leader of the National Umma Party, which was founded by her father and former prime minister Sadiq al-Mahdi.

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Mariam Al-Mahdi

TOP 100 WOMEN

Mary Barra

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GENERAL MOTORS • Rising from positions in engineering, manufacturing and product development, Mary now sits at the helm of General Motors’ (GM).

• Mary’s adaptability and success enabled her to become the highest compensated of any leader of a Big Three automakers, after making US$21.6mn in 2019.

• Mary has invested billions of dollars in self-driving cars, electric vehicles and Maven, a ride-share service, while fiercely advocating the development of GM’s first allelectric car, the Chevrolet Bolt.

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BIO As the first female CEO of one of the ‘Big Three’ automotive companies, Mary has become one of the most influential figures in the industry. And if she’s able to steer GM on its current trajectory aiming to abandon petroleum propulsion of its vehicles by 2035, her name will be ingrained in the history books even more so.

Yet this ambitious goal isn’t the only groundbreaking success that Mary has seen. Throughout her career she has been faced with a number of difficult decisions — and so far, her solutions seem to have been spot on. These choices include axing sedans, leaving Europe and closing plants.

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Megan Rapinoe SOCCER PLAYER

• Megan’s name became one to remember during the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. Since then, she has celebrated a number of wins with the US team, including winning gold at the London 2012 Olympics Games, again at the 2015 World Cup.

• In March 2021, Megan met Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at the White House to commemorate Equal Pay Day.

Mel Brown

SINGER AND ACTIVIST

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• Despite her hugely successful career in music with The Spice Girls, Mel has expressed that her work raising awareness of domestic abuse is the most important thing she’s ever done.

• Through her book "Brutally Honest", Mel speaks out about the abuse she suffered in her previous marriage from her ex-husband.

• Mel was made an MBE for her work with the domestic violence charity and vulnerable women, including Women's Aid. 56

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LORIE SHAULL, FLICKR

• Megan and her teammates filed a lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation for pay discrimination in 2016 and 2019 — the suit was dismissed. After an appeal, the team settled the class action equal pay lawsuit in February 2022.

TOP 100 WOMEN

Melanie Perkins CO-FOUNDER AND CEO CANVA

• Canva is a well-known software that allows users across the world to easily create attractive visuals for social media, resumes and promotions — Melanie Perkins, is the co-founder and CEO. • Melaine owns an estimated 18% stake in Canva, which was valued by private investors at US$40bn, in September 2021.

• As one of the richest women in the world, Melaine and her husband have agreed to transfer more than 80% of their stake to the Canva Foundation for charitable causes.

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BIO At just 14 years old, Melaine started her first business, selling handmade scarves at markets throughout her home city of Perth, Australia. The small-but-mighty experience inspired Melanie to become the business woman she is today, as it fuelled her with the excitement of building her own company.

While studying Communications, Psychology and Commerce at the University of Western Australia, Melaine was a private tutor for students learning graphic design.

During her sessions, she realised that many students struggled to grasp popular programmes, such as Adobe Photoshop — which she saw as a business opportunity.

Dropping out of university, Melaine launched Canva in 2013, with her now-husband Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams in Sydney, Australia.

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Melinda Gates PHILANTHROPIST

• As co-founder and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Melinda French Gates is known as one of the most powerful women in philanthropy and business.

• Reportedly, Bill transferred Melinda US$2.4bn worth of stocks after their divoirce, granting her as a billionaire on her own.

• Melinda plans to close the funding gap for female founders through Pivotal Ventures, her investment and incubation company, which is working to drive social progress for women in the US. BIO After graduating from Duke University with a degree in Computer Science and Economics, and an MBA, Melinda spent the first decade of her career working for Microsoft. She later left the company to focus on her philanthropy work, which she was greatly recognised for in 2013 when appointed as an honorary Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE).

LINKEDIN

For more that two decades, Melinda has played a pivotal role in the success of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in which she is responsible for shaping and approving strategy, reviewing results and ensuring the overall success of the organisation.

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Mellody Hobson CO-CEO ARIEL INVESTMENTS

• Mellody is the President and co-CEO of Ariel Investments, a Chicago-based firm with US$16.8bn in assets.

• Mellody is a former board member for Estée Lauder and DreamWorks Animation, and also contributed to ABC’s Good Morning America for several years, now working for CBS news.

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• In 2020, she was named as the chairwoman of Starbucks Corp., making her the first Black woman to be chairperson of an S&P 500 company. Starbucks also named her as Chair of the Board of Directors of in 2021.

BIO Raised by Dorothy Ashley, a single mother, Mellody recalls drawing inspiration from her mother’s hard work as she would buy, fix up and rent out apartments. However, she wasn’t a very successful business woman, as she didn’t have the heart to evict tenants who weren’t paying rent. This therefore meant that Mellody and her mother were often between homes.

But like many others, her success story started off with an internship. Well, two internships – one at Ariel Capital Management and the other at T. Rowe Price Associates. Upon graduating from Princeton University, Mellody took a position overseeing client services at Ariel Capital Management.

Although Ariel broke off from its parent company in 1994 – seeing assets drop by US$100mn – Mellody worked her way up through the ranks becoming President and securing US$10bn in assets for the firm.

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Michelle Obama FORMER FIRST LADY

• Michelle graduated from both Princeton University and Harvard Law School, before starting her career at Sidley Austin - where she met her husband and former President, Barack Obama.

• As the former First Lady of the US, Michelle undertook a number of initiatives to promote a happier, healthier culture for America, while serving as a role model for girls.

BIO During her reign as First Lady, Michelle initiated the Let’s Move! programme, which aimed to end childhood obesity within a generation. To achieve this, she advocated more nutritious food in schools, healthier foods for under-served communities, promoted active opportunities, and to plant fruits and vegetables across the US. During her husband’s second term as President, Michelle spearheaded the Reach Higher Initiative. This helped students understand the education and skills needed to possess the jobs they desired, while encouraging students to continue their studies past high school in technical schools and community colleges.

Let Girls Learn is another initiative launched by Michelle and President Obama, aiming to help girls across the globe stay in school. It also works to empower young girls by sharing their stories of struggle, to help others commit to their own education.

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• Michelle’s main message to girls and women has been: “Never view your challenges as obstacles,” a lesson that was deeply inspired by her father.

Nancy Pelosi

SPEAKER OF THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

• Making history in 2007 by becoming the first woman to serve as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy is currently serving her fourth term as the 52nd Speaker for the US. • In 2019, she regained her position as second-in-line for president, after Kamala Harris. The same year, she initiated the fourth-ever impeachment proceedings in US history against a president – President Donald Trump.

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• Nancy was named as the 6th richest person in congress, with a net worth of US$120mn in 2021.

BIO Her career in politics began when she volunteered for the Democratic Party, while also raising five children and serving on the San Francisco Library Commission. She won a special election to represent San Francisco in the House of Representatives, and in 2001 and 2002, she became the first woman to hold the positions of House Democratic Whip and House Democratic Leader, after being elected by her colleagues.

She has since worked hard for the people of America, as she is passionate about lowering healthcare costs and increasing worker’s pay through promoting strong economic growth.

She plans to continue this work, as earlier in January 2022, she announced that she will seek reelection as a US representative.

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“As long as I can remember, people have struggled to define me. I'VE NEVER REALLY FIT INTO ONE DESCRIPTION” - Naomi Osaka

TOP 100 WOMEN

Naomi Osaka TENNIS PLAYER

• Naomi is a multicultural, multiracial, JapaneseHaitian-American woman, who represents the modern world on and off the courts.

• As a four-time Grand Slam champion, Naomi has been named as the world's highest-paid female athlete.

• Tennis isn’t Naomi’s only passion, as she spends a great deal of time and energy fighting social injustice and advocating equality.

BIO “As long as I can remember, people have struggled to define me. I've never really fit into one description,” are the words of tennis legend Naomi Osaka.

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At just three years old, Naomi and her parents moved from Osaka, Japan, to New York, US, before finally settling in Florida. Her father would practice tennis with Naomi and her sister by day, homeschooling them at night. It was clear that she began to develop a natural talent for the game, with a powerful serve and strong forehand.

Naomi became a professional in 2013, representing her native country, Japan, and went on to be named ‘Newcomer of the Year’ by the Women’s Tennis Association. When Naomi turned 20, she went face-to-face with her childhood idol Serena Williams, besting the 23-time Grand Slam champion and winning her first major title. One year later, she won the Australian Open, securing her spot as world number one – the first for any Asian player.

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Nemonte Nenquimo INDIGENOUS ACTIVIST

• In 2015, she co-founded the Ceibo Alliance, an Indigenous-led non-profit organisation, committed to protecting Indigenous lands from resource extraction.

• In April 2019, a judge ruled to protect the Waorani and its 500,000 acres of land from oil extraction from the government, owing to Nemonte’s leadership.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala DIRECTOR-GENERAL WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION

• As a global finance expert, international development professional and economist with over 30 years of experience, Ngozi is now the CEO of World Trade Organisation (WTO).

• Dr Ngozi has shaped a career with the belief that the power of trade can lift developing countries out of poverty.

• In 2012, she became the first female and African candidate to contest for the presidency of the World Bank Group. And after becoming the bank's Managing Director, she was responsible for the US$81bn operational portfolio in Africa.

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MITCH ANDERSON - AMAZON FRONTLINES

• Indigenous activist Nemonte Nenquimo has dedicated her life to defending the culture, ancestral territory and ecosystem, in her home country of Ecuador.

Nikkie de Jager • Commonly known by her YouTube channel name NikkieTutorials, Nikki became an internet sensation after her 2015 video “The Power of MakeUp”, which inspired thousands of users to feel confident without wearing make-up.

• In 2020, Nikki was announced as a goodwill ambassador at the United Nations.

• As of February 2022, Nikkie’s YouTube channel has 13.9 million subscribers and over 1.5 billion video views.

Dr Olivia Harrison SCIENTIFIC RESEARCHER

• After struggling with her own experiences with high levels of anxiety for years, Dr Olivia is in the fortunate position where she can research treatments for the condition.

• Based at the University of Otago, New Zealand, Dr Oliva was awarded a 2021 L’Oreal/Unesco Fellowship for women in science, and was also named a Rutherford Discovery Research Fellow.

• To support her research further, Dr Olivia has been awarded US$25,000.

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YOUTUBER

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In 1986, The Oprah Winfrey Show debuted, which broke DAYTIME TALK SHOW RECORDS

TOP 100 WOMEN

Oprah Winfrey

CEO, PRODUCER, PUBLISHER, ACTRESS AND INNOVATOR

• Eyes across the globe have been glued to screens while watching Oprah Winfrey’s highprofile interviews with the rich and famous, from Barack Obama to Donald Trump, and Kim Kardashian to Meghan Markle.

• Oprah became the first ever Black woman to be worth more than US$1bn in 2003. Since then, her worth has more than doubled.

• President Obama awarded Oprah with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country’s highest civilian honour, for her philanthropy and work as a global broadcast journalist.

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BIO Born into poverty in rural Mississippi by a teenage single mother, Oprah faced numerous challenges as a young girl, but eventually landed a job in radio. She was promoted to co-anchor by 19, where she became known for her emotional and extemporaneous deliveries.

Her next step led her to the daytime talk show arena, where she boosted a third-place talk show to first place. Soon after, she took a sizeable role in Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-nominated period drama “The Colour Purple”, which dramatically boosted her career.

In 1986, the The Oprah Winfrey Show debuted, which broke daytime talk show records, usurping The Phil Donahue Show as highest rated in the US. As the years rolled by, Oprah continued to rake in a high number of viewers, but in 1993, her interview with Michael Jackson exceeded expectations, reaching a whopping 90 million viewers.

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Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi

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FOUNDERS, BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT

• Together, Patrisse Cullors, Alicia Garza, and Opal Tometi formed the Black Lives Matter movement, otherwise known as BLM. • The movement aims to highlight racism, inequality, discrimination experienced by Black people across the globe.

• In the US alone, an estimated 15 million to 26 million people participated in the 2020 protests, making it the largest ever movement for the country.

BIO Black teenager Trayvon Martin was shot dead as he walked home from a convenience store in Florida. In 2013, a jury acquitted George Zimmerman, his murderer, sparking outrage across the US.

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Black and queer political organiser Alicia Garza was just one of the many indiviuals disturbed by this event, to which she responded by writing a series of posts titled: A Love Letter to Black People. In one post, she wrote: “I continue to be surprised at how little Black lives matter... stop giving up on Black life,” and concluded, “Black people. I love you.

I love us. Our lives matter.”

Alicia had met fellow activist

Patrisse Cullors at a conference for the Black Leadership for Organising and Dignity, who read her response and added her own take on the matter, commenting on the post: #BlackLivesMatter.

Alicia and Patrisse then reached out to Opal Tometi, another activist with a stronger social media presence to spread the #BlackLivesMatter message to the public.

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Preet Chandi

PHYSIOTHERAPIST AND BRITISH ARMY MEDICAL OFFICER

• Preet Chandi made headlines for being the first woman of colour to complete a solo expedition to the South Pole.

• Preet was inspired to tackle the 700mile trek in 40 days after spending months skiing solo and unsupported across Antarctica.

ARMY.MOD.UK

• Once she had completed her challenge, the British-born Sikh army officer shared that she hopes her adventure will inspire others to push their boundaries and defy cultural norms.

Raja Easa Al Gurg

MANAGING DIRECTOR EASA SALEH AL GURG GROUP • Raja is the Managing Director and Vice Chairperson of Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group, which is one of the biggest multidivisional conglomerates in the Middle East.

• She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate at Queen's University Belfast for services to business and commerce.

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PHOTOGRAPH: WIKIPEDIA

• Raja was appointed as a board member of HSBC Bank Middle East Limited (HBME), making history as the first ever Emirati woman to hold the position.

TOP 100 WOMEN

Reese Witherspoon ACTRESS AND HELLO SUNSHINE FOUNDER

• Frustrated with the roles she was offered in her acting career, Reese started Pacific Standard, a production company that led to her role in 'Wild' and 'Gone Girl' adapted onto the big screen.

• Partnering with Otter Media, Reese launched Little Miss Sunshine in 2016, which focuses on sharing female-based stories.

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• In August 2021, a Blackstonebacked media company purchased Hello Sunshine, which was valued at US$900mn.

BIO Although Reese had made a name for herself by starring in films such as “Legally Blonde” and “Sweet Home Alabama”, she didn’t feel that she was being presented with roles that were accurate of women.

So in 2012, she took matters into her own hands and launched her production company, Pacific Standard.

In 2016, she set her hopes on a new venture where she launched a femaledriven media company Hello Sunshine, alongside Otter Media, a division of AT&T's WarnerMedia. Hello Sunshine now operates two podcasts, a book club, a video-on-demand channel with DirecTV, audio programming with Audible and is collaborating with Apple.

Rosalind is one of only two Black women CURRENTLY LEADING A FORTUNE 500 FIRM

TOP 100 WOMEN

Rosalind Brewer

CEO WALGREENS BOOTS ALLIANCE

• Rosalind is one of only two Black women currently leading a Fortune 500 firm, and the third Black woman in history to serve as a Fortune 500 CEO. • She also serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees for Spelman College and is also a Board Member of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture.

• Coffee giant Starbucks welcomed Rosalind as COO in 2017. During her time in the role, she implemented policy changes and racial bias training for employees in more than 8,000 stores.

BIO After graduating from college, Rosalind joined KimberlyClark as a research technician. Over the course of 22 years, Rosalind continued to climb the career ladder, moving from Marketing Manager to President of Manufacturing and Operations.

WALGREENS BOOTS ALLIANCE PRESS/MEDIA ROOM

In 2006, Rosalind left Kimberly-Clark to pursue a career at Walmart, where she served as the Vice President, Senior Vice President and Executive Vice President for southeastern operations, and Executive Vice President for the eastern business unit. After many years, she was finally elected President of Walmart East.

Prior to Starbucks, Rosalind served as President and CEO of membership-only retail warehouse club, Sam’s Club, from 2012 to 2017. She also serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees for Spelman College, a Board Member of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture, and became the only Black woman to sit on Amazon’s board, in 2019.

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Ruth Ann Harnisch

• College dropout Ruth Ann Harnisch has led a career in which she has broken many glass ceilings, while also supporting others through her foundation, the Harnisch Foundation.

• Putting girls and women in the spotlight, the Harnisch Foundation supports the work of creative communities and impactful leaders to promote diversity, equality and inclusivity.

• Ruth and foundation co-founder husband Bill Harnisch have invested in thousands of organisations dedicated to making a positive difference to society.

Ruth Porat CFO ALPHABET

• Ruth spent 27 years working for Morgan Stanley, where she held a number of roles, including Vice Chairman of Investment Banking, Global Head of the Financial Institutions Group, and Executive Vice President and CFO. • Joining Google and Alphabet, Google’s parent company, in 2015 as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, she is primarily responsible for finance, business operations and real estate.

GOOGLE

• Throughout her time at Google, she has been widely praised for reducing expenditure in certain divisions and showing her support against sexual harrasment in the workplace.

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ACTIVIST AND PHILANTHROPIST

TOP 100 WOMEN

Safra Catz CEO ORACLE

• Safra became Oracle’s CEO in September 2014, when founder Larry Ellison stepped down from the role.

• During her time at Oracle, Safra has been credited with a number of great successes, including the acquisition of software rival PeopleSoft in a US$10.3bn takeover.

• Safra has over 14 years of experience on Wall Street covering the software industry.

BIO Billionaire banker and technology executive Safra was born in Israel to Jewish parents, who decided to move to Massachusetts, US, when she was six years old.

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After graduating from both Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1983 and the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1986, Safra went on to start her career as a Banker, at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette.

While serving at the Wall Street firm, Safra worked her way up the career ladder to hold both the Managing Director and Senior Vice President positions.

When Safra first joined Oracle, she spearheaded the company’s aggressive acquisition strategy, in which she was responsible for closing more than 130 acquisitions. She is now the company’s CEO. MARCH8.COM

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Samia Suluhu Hassan PRESIDENT OF TANZANIA

• Rising through the ranks, Samia Suluhu Hassan is Tanzania’s first female President, representing the socialdemocrat Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party.

• Since her time in office, Hassan has spoken about the COVID vaccine inequality, and was the fifth-ever female African leader to address the UN General Assembly.

• Throughout her political career, Samia has been presented with a great deal of adversity from her male counterparts for being one of the only high-ranking female ministers in the cabinet.

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BIO Samia’s political career began in 2000, when she was elected as a special seat member to the Zanzibar House of Representatives. 2010 brought Hassan her next venture, as she sought election to the National Assembly, standing in the parliamentary constituency of Makunduchi — she won by more than 80%.

Presidential nominee John Magufuli chose Samia to be his running mate in the 2015 election. When he was elected as President, Samia became the first female Vice President in the history of Tanzania. The pair were reelected in 2020. Following the death of President Magufuli, Hassan became Tanzania's sixth president and first-ever female leader in March 2021.

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Sarah Gilbert VACCINOLOGIST, ASTRAZENECA

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• Sarah Gilbert is one of the volcanologists that helped produce the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19.

• It took Sarah and her team a matter of weeks to produce the vaccine — the delay came with the rigorous tests.

• Although many have dubbed the process of creating a Covid vaccine as a ‘race’ to be the first successful company, Sarah humbly explains that for her, it was a race against the virus.

BIO After studying Biological Sciences at the University of East Anglia, Sarah continued her education to obtain a PhD from the University of Hull. Once she graduated, Sarah started a job at the University of Oxford.

Quickly rising through the ranks, Sarah later led the first trial for the Ebola vaccine.

And when the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MErs) virus - a form of coronavirus - struck, Sarah flew out to Saudi Arabia to work on a vaccine.

The developed MErs vaccine was in the second trial when the COVID-19 pandemic began, in early 2020. Sarah soon realised she might be able to use a similar approach for COVID-19, as she did with MErs – not long after the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine was developed.

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Serena Williams TENNIS PLAYER

• The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has ranked Serena as world number one for a total of 319 weeks.

• Serena has earnt US$94mn in career prize money — twice as much as any other female athlete.

• She also stands as a five-time winner of the WTA Tour Championships in the single division, and has won four gold medals at the Olympic Games.

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BIO This woman’s name has become synonymous with power (and tennis), as she’s renowned for being the most prolific tennis player, male or female, of all time.

With 23 Grand Slam titles in singles, 14 in women’s doubles and two in mixed doubles, Serena quite easily clears the court of competitors. On eight separate occasions, the WTA ranked Serena as world number one - on the sixth occasion, she held the ranking for 186 consecutive weeks. In total, she has ranked as WTA’s number one for 319 weeks.

Her legacy is set to continue as her daughter, Alexis Olympia, became the youngest known sports team part-owner of the women’s football team Angel City, at just two years old. The likes of Eva Longoria, Jessica Chastain, Uzo Aduba, America Ferrera, and Jennifer Garner have also invested in the company.

Through Serena Ventures, she has invested in over 60 startups.

TOP 100 WOMEN

With 23 Grand Slam titles in singles, 14 in women’s doubles and two in mixed doubles, SERENA QUITE EASILY CLEARS THE COURT OF COMPETITORS

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Shani Dhanda

DISABILITY RIGHTS ADVOCATE

• Shani is the founder of three disruptive platforms, Diversability, Asian Woman Festival, and Asian Disability Network — all three aim to unite individuals with the common purpose of empowering underrepresented communities.

• Now, she works to educate and advise wellknown companies on their DEI strategies, recently speaking at the United Nations Headquarters in Vienna.

SHANI DHANDA | LINKEDIN

• Through Diversability, Shani’s launched the Diversability Card, which reduced the financial burden for many disabled families and individuals, who incur extra living costs of £538 per month.

Sheikh Hasina Wajed

• Sheikh Hasina Wajed and her family have played a major role in the politics of Bangladesh throughout the years.

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• Sheikh is the longest serving Prime Minister in the history of Bangladesh, with a combined total of over 18 years, making her the longest serving female Head of Government in the world.

• Before Sheikh, elections were rigged, votes were often not counted, and those who opposed the government were jailed, exiled or murdered.

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PRIME MINISTER OF BANGLADESH

TOP 100 WOMEN

Shelli has become A ROLE MODEL for women hoping TO PURSUE A CAREER IN SPACE Shelli Brunswick

COO SPACE FOUNDATION

• As the COO of Space Foundation, Shelli has become a role model for women hoping to pursue a career in space.

• Shelli acts as a fierce advocate for space technology innovation and entrepreneurship, while also striving to champion the inclusion of underrepresented groups in the space industry.

• The United Nations named Shelli one of only 35 women worldwide to be a mentor for the Space4Women programme.

BIO Joining the United States Air Force after graduating from high school, Shelli studied her degree at night school and was soon appointed as an officer. Her studies focused primarily on spacerelated projects and during her last five years of active duty, she worked as a legislative liaison to the House of Representatives. She wanted to explore the passion she found for the space industry while inspiring future generations – Space Foundation was her perfect match.

Shelli is now COO of Space Foundation, a non-profit organisation advocating space research by providing a gateway to education, information and collaboration for space exploration. Through her role, she works to advance the breadth and depth of the global space ecosystem.

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PHOTOGRAPH: SPACE FOUNDATION

Shelli Brunswick

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Sheryl Sandberg COO FACEBOOK

• Sheryl worked for Google for 7 years, playing a key role in the company’s development.

• By encouraging Facebook to become a platform promoting small business advertising, Sheryl increased the company’s revenue by 21% during 2020, to US$84.2bn.

• Sheryl uses her success to inspire other women, encouraging them to become more aggressive when looking to achieve in the workplace.

When Sheryl was later appointed to the role of Vice President of Global Online Sales, she was responsible for developing AdWords and AdSense - both of which helped Google become a highly profitable company.

But in 2008, Facebook was looking for it’s first COO, and founder Mark Zuckerberg felt that Sheryl was the perfect fit.

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META

BIO Sheryl’s colourful career first kicked off in 2001 when she joined search engine giant, Google, Inc. - or Google, as we know it now. Her first role was as general manager of the company’s business unit, yet as Google was still in its infancy, it was yet to actually have a business unit.

TOP 100 WOMEN

GYMNAST

• As America’s most decorated female gymnast, Simone has a staggering collection of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals combined.

• After winning bronze on the balance beam and silver with the US team at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the 24-year-old gymnast withdrew from competition to focus on her mental health and to recover from a phenomenon known as the twisties, which affects spatial awareness.

• During 2021, Simone spoke out about the abuse she endured from US team doctor Larry Nassar, who is currently serving a life sentence in jail.

BIO In 2007, Simone began competing as a level 8 gymnast and by 2011, she had worked her way up to junior elite level. As the years passed, her success followed, as she delivered countless show-stopping performances in a number of competitions, including the 2013 US P&G Championships and the World Championships.

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Simone Biles

The powerhouse athlete gained a spot in the 2016 Olympic Games and dominated the score boards, winning individual gold in the all-around, vault, and floor; a bronze on the balance beam; and gold with her team named the “Final Five”. Simone is the gymnast with the most World medals (25), most World gold medals (19) and the female gymnast with the most World allround titles.

Simone has also been named 2021 Athlete of the Year by Time.

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Susan Arnold CHAIR DISNEY

• For the first time in Disney’s 98-year history, a woman holds the position of Chair — that woman is Susan Arnold.

• Susan also sat at the helm of Global Business Units, where she was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the three global business units in the US$76bn company.

• From 2008 to 2016, Susan was a Director of McDonald’s Corporation.

Prior to this role, Susan was an executive at global investment firm Carlyle, and has also served in senior roles at some of America's biggest companies, such as P&G Beauty and Health, where she served as Vice Chair.

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THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY

BIO After spending 14 years on the board for Disney, Susan succeeded Bob Iger at the end of 2021. In a statement, she says: "As I step into this new role as Chairman of the Board, I look forward to continuing to serve the long-term interests of Disney's shareholders and working closely with CEO Bob Chapek as he builds upon the company's century-long legacy of creative excellence and innovation.”

TOP 100 WOMEN

Susan Wojcicki

• Susan’s garage was once Google’s first headquarter office. She then went on to become the company’s first Marketing Manager.

• In 2005, Susan became affiliated with Google Video and 12 months later she advocated for the US$1.65bn acquisition of rival company YouTube.

• Five years later, Susan was appointed as Senior Vice President, which led her to the position as YouTube’s CEO, which came in 2014.

Tanya Muzinda

INTERNATIONAL MOTOCROSS ATHLETE

• From a young age, Tanya Muzinda showed an exceptional talent for sport, and now, aged 17, she is an international motocross athlete.

• While taking on the male-dominate sport, Tanya has become Zimbabwe’s offroad circuits champion, and she is the first Zimbabwean woman to win a motocross championship since 1957.

• Tanya regularly engages in charitable work, and pays the tuition for around 100 students to attend school in Harare with her motocross earnings.

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ACUMEN MAKAYA

"A NEW PLATFORM FOR THE DIGITAL ECONOMY: SUSAN WOJCICKI"

BY WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IS LICENSED UNDER CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

CEO YOUTUBE

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Thasunda Brown Duckett PRESIDENT & CEO TIAA

• Thasunda is the forth Black woman in history to serve as a Fortune 500 CEO and the second Black woman currently leading a Fortune 500 firm.

• The Rosie and Otis Brown Foundation was established by Thasunda in 2013, to honour her parents. The organisation looks to recognise and reward individuals who use ordinary means to uplift and empower their communities in extraordinary ways.

• Thasunda serves on the boards of NIKE, Inc., National Medal of Honor Museum, Sesame Workshop, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, Economic Club of New York and Dean’s Advisory Board for Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business.

BIO Thasunda's story started when she landed an internship with Fannie Mae, which sparked her interest to study a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing, as well as her MBA at Baylor University. After graduating, Thasunda received multiple job offers, but accepted the lowest paying role - at her first company, Fannie Mae. PHOTOGRAPH: SUPPLIED

Thasunda became the Director of Emerging Markets implementing national strategies designed to increase homeownership for Black and Hispanic Americans.

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Her next step was to become CEO of Chase Consumer Banking. Responsible for more than US$600bn in deposits and investments and 50,000 employees, she helped the bank develop new tools and products to increase the financial wealth and health of all consumers.

TOP 100 WOMEN

Tsai Ing-wen

PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC OF CHINA (TAIWAN)

• Tsai became Taiwan's first female presidential candidate, and the country’s first unmarried president.

• In 2020, she was reelected with over 8.17 million votes (57%) – the nation’s highest total in history.

© RITCHIE B TONGO/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK

• She has also vowed to make the island nation a vital member of the world’s economy by backing initiatives, such as green energy and biotech.

BIO President Tsai Ing-wen grew up in a Twainese auto repair shop run by her parents, which taught her to be dynamic, hard working, professional and resilient.

After graduating from the National Taiwan University with a Bachelor of Laws degree, Prescient Tsai went on to obtain a Master

President Tsai Ing-wen grew up in a Twainese AUTO REPAIR SHOP RUN

BY HER PARENTS

of Laws degree from Cornell University Law School and a PhD in Law from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Upon returning to Taiwan, President Tsai held the position of Professor at a number of universities across the country.

After a number of career successes, Tsai joined the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and represented the party in Taiwan's 13th-term presidential election in 2012. In 2016, she was elected as the nation's 14thterm president, making her the first female head of state in Asia who was not born into a political family.

TOP 100 WOMEN

Ursula von der Leyen

• Ursula was the first woman to serve as Germany’s Minister of Defence and the first woman to be elected President of the European Commission.

• From 2005 to 2019, she held the position of Minister of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women, and Youth in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet – the longest tenure of any cabinet member.

• During her first State of the Union speech as Commissioner in 2020, Ursula spoke out against anti-LGBTQ policies in Poland.

Valentina Sampaio TRANSGENDER SUPERMODEL

• At eight years old, a psychologist told Valentina and her parents that she was transgender, but she didn’t consider herself as a woman until she reached the age of 12.

• In 2017, she was the first transgender model to appear on the cover of Vogue Paris, and in 2019 she was welcomed into the Victoria’s Secret family as the first trans woman.

• Valentina has openly described times in her career where she was met with cruel judgement and her mere existence was questioned, simply because she was born trans. These experiences have led her to believe that it is her duty to use her voice to bring change.

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PRESIDENT THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Vanessa Nakate CLIMATE ACTIVIST

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• Inspired by Greta Thunberg, Vanessa created her own climate movement in Uganda.

• Vanessa has been a speaker at a number of high-profile events, including COP25, the World Resources Institute, the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2021, and the Desmond Tutu International Peace Lecture.

• She is the founder of the Youth for Future Africa and the Africa-based Rise Up Movement.

Vicki Hollub

CEO OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM

BRANDON BELL / STAFF | GETTY IMAGES NEWS | VIA GETTY IMAGES

• When Vicki Hollub was named as president and CEO of Occidental Petroleum in April 2016, she became the first woman to be at the helm of a major American oil company.

• Since Vicki has been at the helm of Occidental, she has teamed up with Warren Buffett, who backed Oxy's US$57bn bid for Anadarko Petroleum.

• Vicki also serves on the board of directors for the American Petroleum Institute, Khalifa University for Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, and Lockheed Martin.

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TOP 100 WOMEN

Whitney Wolfe Herd CEO AND FOUNDER BUMBLE

• Whitney was a founding member of dating app Tinder, where she held the position of Vice President.

• After Whitney resigned from her position at Tinder, she decided to launch a new dating app, Bumble, which aims to give women the power of initiating the conversation first.

• In 2021, Whitney announced that Bumble's board is 73% female - a poignant milestone.

It’s Whitney’s passion to ensure that gender equality is achieved, stating she wants to ‘end the misogyny that still plagues society’. In 2019, Whitney helped to pass a law in her home state of Texas, US, fighting against sending unsolicited nude images. A feature was also added to the app which automatically blurs nude images. The recipient can decide later whether they want to receive the image or not.

In 2021, Whitney became the youngest self-made billionaire.

TECHCRUNCH, CREATIVE COMMONS

BIO Has a community of over 100 million people across six continents and has celebrated 1.5 billion female first moves. But Bumble isn’t just for those who are unlucky in love. It’s now a resource for those who want to find friends or professional networks, too.

TOP 100 WOMEN

Zarlasht Halaimzai

CEO AND CO-FOUNDER REFUGEE TRAUMA INITIATIVE

• As a co-founder of Refugee Trauma Initiative, Zarlasht has helped thousands of refugees, after she and her family were forced to leave Kabul, Afghanistan, when she was just 11 years old.

• When she was 15 years old, she arrived in the UK and was granted asylum.

BIO Zarlasht decided to launch the Refugee Trauma Initiative in 2016, after she returned from the Syrian border, where she had been working closely with refugees dealing with emotional fallout of displacement and violence, as well as advising international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) on child wellbeing and education. Refugee Trauma Initiative offers non-clinical mental health support for refugees, to foster community healing and to implant supportive measures.

Previously, she had worked with Save the Children, Young Foundation, the Studio Schools Trust and the Skills Lab, where she was a founding director. 0 MARCH8.COM

THEA LOVSTAD

• She was chosen as a fellow of the inaugural class of Obama Fellows — a group of 20 global leaders in civic innovation.

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