Global Power 50
From France to India to Mexico, there is a world of opportunity out there--and these 50 women have seized it.

(FORTUNE Magazine) – 1 ANNE LAUVERGEON, Chairman • Areva • France • 2004 rank: 1

Business is good at Areva, the world's largest nuclear technology company. Lauvergeon, 46, snagged several deals in China and hopes to build the first new commercial reactor in the U.S. in 27 years. Revenues rose 48%, to $13.8 billion. She is also a director at Vodafone, the world's fourth-largest telecom company.

2 XIE QIHUA, Chairman • Shanghai Baosteel Group • China • 2004 rank: 2

Xie, 62, stepped down as president of the world's sixth-largest steelmaker because of mandatory retirement. But the "Iron Lady" is still chairman of the $19.5 billion company--and very much in charge. Under Xie's leadership, Baosteel has expanded abroad and is poised for an IPO.

3 MARJORIE SCARDINO, CEO • Pearson • Britain • 2004 rank: 3

Despite a stagnant stock, Scardino, 58, seems firmly ensconced at this publishing and education company--it owns the Financial Times and Penguin. A poor year in the book group aside, overall revenue stayed steady at $7.2 billion.

4 LINDA COOK, Executive Director, Gas and Power • Royal Dutch/Shell • The Netherlands • 2004 rank: 7

As one of five members of Shell's executive committee, Cook, 47, is the highest-ranked woman at the world's third-largest oil company. Her division delivered $2.2 billion in earnings on $9.6 billion in revenue.

5 TOMOYO NONAKA, Chairman and CEO • Sanyo Electric • Japan • 2004 rank: New

The 51-year-old Nonaka is one of two women appointed to head a FORTUNE Global 500 company in Japan this year. There has been public speculation that the former TV anchorwoman is not really in charge, but no one doubts that Sanyo needs leadership. The struggling $23 billion electronics giant lost $1.6 billion last fiscal year. Nonaka's restructuring plans including eliminating 10,000 jobs and leaving the DVD, semiconductor, and VCR businesses.

6 MARINA BERLUSCONI, Chairman • Fininvest • Italy • 2004 rank: 9

Promoted to chairman in October, Berlusconi, 39, solidified her power at the family's business empire, which controls large swaths of Italy's media. The $7 billion group has interests in publishing, the Internet, movies, and radio, as well as Mediaset, Italy's largest private broadcaster. Fininvest had its best year ever in 2004; operating earnings were up 30%, to more than $1 billion. It can't hurt that her father, Silvio Berlusconi, is Prime Minister of Italy.

7 NANCY MCKINSTRY, Chairman and CEO • Wolters Kluwer • The Netherlands • 2004 rank: 4

In her two years at the top of this $4 billion Dutch publishing and online services company, McKinstry, 46, has radically changed its culture. Once a loosely run holding company that grew by acquisition, Wolters Kluwer is now operating as a coherent whole. McKinstry's cost cutting is on track, as is her plan to get 4% growth by developing products and services organically.

8 ANA BOTIN, Executive Chairman • Banco Banesto • Spain • 2004 rank: 6

Botín, 44, is being groomed to take over the family-run Banco Santander, but for now she's preoccupied with reviving Banco Banesto. This year she's likely to meet her target of increasing the top line by 20%.

9 MARY MA, Chief Financial Officer • Lenovo • China • 2004 rank: 14

Ma was an architect of Lenovo's acquisition of IBM's PC business last year. The deal puts the computer manufacturer in third place in the industry, behind only Dell and Hewlett-Packard, with expected revenue this year of $13 billion.

10 FUMIKO HAYASHI, Chairman and CEO • Daiei • Japan • 2004 rank: New

Hayashi, 59, has spent much of her career selling cars, most recently as president of BMW Tokyo. Now her job is to get Daiei into gear. The supermarket chain lost $4.5 billion last year on sales of $16 billion.

11 HO CHING, CEO • Temasek Holdings • Singapore • 2004 rank: 5

Ho oversees Temasek, the state-owned investment house with a $100 billion portfolio. She is also half of Singapore's First Couple; her husband is the Prime Minister.

12 VIVIENNE COX, CEO • Gas, Power, and Renewables • BP • Britain • 2004 rank: 15

The highest-ranking woman at the world's second-largest corporation, Cox increased profits by 65% in 2004.

13 ROSE MARIE BRAVO, CEO • Burberry • Britain • 2004 rank: 13

Bravo, Bravo! After eight years of pushing plaid, she has boosted gross profit margins to an astonishing 59%.

14 MARÍA ARAMBURUZABALA DE GARZA, Vice Chairman • Grupo Modelo • Mexico • 2004 rank: 11

She is perhaps the most powerful businesswoman in Latin America; her company controls 60% of the Mexican beer market.

15 YANG MIANMIAN, President • Haier Group • China • 2004 rank: 8

Yang, 64, has pushed the appliance-maker into international markets.

16 VAL GOODING, CEO • Bupa • Britain • 2004 rank: 18

Since 1998, Gooding, 55, has boosted sales at this health-services company by 89%, to $7 billion.

17 GÜLER SABANCI, Chairman and Managing Director • Sabanci Holdings • Turkey • 2004 rank: 20

Her $8.6 billion family-owned conglomerate is the second-largest in Turkey.

18 PATRICIA BARBIZET, CEO • Artémis Holding • France • 2004 rank: 16

Barbizet heads this investment group for French conglomerateur François Pinault and is also the vice chairman of PPR, a $30 billion retail empire.

19 CLARA FURSE, CEO • London Stock Exchange • Britain • 2004 rank: 17

Furse has rebuffed several suitors, keeping the venerable exchange independent.

20 KATE SWANN, CEO • W.H. Smith • Britain • 2004 rank: 10

The $4.4 billion book, CD, and magazine retailer swung from a loss in 2004 to a pretax profit of $145 million for the year ended Aug. 31.

21 MARIE EHRLING, President • TeliaSonera • Sweden • 2004 rank: 21

Ehrling is responsible for half of the company's $12.4 billion in revenue and two-thirds of its $2 billion in profit.

22 LIEN SIAOU-SZE, Senior Vice President • Hewlett-Packard • Singapore • 2004 rank: 19

Lien manages 15,000 employees in 13 countries and was responsible for about $12 billion of Hewlett-Packard's revenue last year.

23 IMRE BARMANBEK, Deputy Chairman • Dogan Holding • Turkey • 2004 rank: 22

The No. 2 exec at this $5.7 billion conglomerate, Barmanbek, 63, took it into the energy business.

24 BARBARA KUX, Chief Procurement Officer • Philips • The Netherlands • 2004 rank: 26

With $22 billion to spend, Kux has a lot of shopping to do. She has cut the number of suppliers by a third and eliminated inefficiencies.

25 DOMINIQUE REINICHE, President, COO, EU Group • Coca-Cola • France • 2004 rank: 39

Newly promoted to lead this $7 billion division, Reiniche needs to put some pop into the German market.

26 BARBARA DALIBARD, Executive Vice President • France Telecom • France • 2004 rank: 27

27 ANN GODBEHERE, Chief Financial Officer• Swiss Re • Switzerland • 2004 rank: 28

28 MARIA RAMOS, CEO • Transnet • South Africa • 2004 rank: 29

29 THERESA GATTUNG, CEO • Telecom New Zealand • New Zealand • 2004 rank: 32

30 DOMINIQUE HÉRIARD DUBREUIL, Chairman • Rémy Cointreau • France • 2004 rank: 24

31 SAWAKO NOMA, President and CEO • Kodansha • Japan • 2004 rank: 31

32 GALIA MAOR, President and CEO • Leumi Group • Israel • 2004 rank: 36

33 SLY BAILEY, CEO • Trinity Mirror • Britain • 2004 rank: 23

34 BARBARA STYMIEST, Chief Operating Officer • Royal Bank of Canada • Canada • 2004 rank: New

35 LUBNA OLAYAN, CEO • Olayan Financing • Saudi Arabia • 2004 rank: 37

36 FRANÇOISE GRI, CEO • IBM France • France • 2004 rank: 33

37 DAWN ROBERTSON, CEO • Myer • Australia • 2004 rank: 30

38 YOSHIKO SHINOHARA, President • Tempstaff • Japan • 2004 rank: 34

39 PANSY HO, Managing Director • Shun Tak Holdings • Hong Kong • 2004 rank: 49

40 MARIE-CHRISTINE CAUBET, Senior Vice President • Renault • France • 2004 rank: New

41 MARJORIE YANG, Chairman and CEO • Esquel Group • Hong Kong • 2004 rank: 44

42 OFRA STRAUSS-LAHAT, Chairman • Strauss-Elite Group • Israel • 2004 rank: 45

43 AMELIA FAWCETT, Vice Chairman • Morgan Stanley International • Britain • 2004 rank: 40

44 KIRAN MAZUMDAR-SHAW Chairman and Managing Director • Biocon • India • 2004 rank: New

45 WANDA RAPACZYNSKI, President • Agora • Poland • 2004 rank: 48

46 TERESITA SY-COSON, Vice Chairman • SM Investments • Philippines • 2004 rank: 47

47 CHANDA KOCHHAR, Executive Director • ICICI Bank • India • 2004 rank: New

48 DONG MINGZHU, General Manager • Gree Electric Appliances • China • 2004 rank: 42

49 VIDYA CHHABRIA, Chairman, • Jumbo Group • Dubai • 2004 rank: 38

50 CHUA SOCK KOONG, Chief Financial Officer • Singapore Telecommunications • Singapore • 2004 rank: 43