The Global Power 50

With 11 newcomers - several of them American expats gone to Europe - our list of the most powerful women in global business demonstrates their rise in male-dominated fields, from nuclear energy to mining to oil.

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5. Linda Cook

Executive Director, Gas & Power
Royal Dutch Shell

Country: Netherlands
2006 rank: 4

The highest-ranking woman at the world's second-largest energy company, Cook is already a pioneer. But she'll really move the needle if she takes the top spot in 2009 when CEO Jeroen van der Veer retires. The 49-year-old American, who has run divisions in the U.S., Britain, and Canada, is one of three insiders believed in line for the job. Meanwhile, as head of gas and power - with profits up 68%, to $2.7 billion - she's hopscotching the globe making deals.

Cynthia Carroll Anne Lauvergeon Marjorie Scardino Patricia Russo Linda Cook Anne-Marie Idrac Marina Berlusconi Güler Sabanci Ana Patricia Botín Nancy McKinstry Annika Falkengren Ho Ching Maureen Chiquet Maria Ramos Chua Sock Koong Vivienne Cox Clara Furse Angela Ahrendts Barbara Kux Gulzhan Moldazhanova Val Gooding Patricia Barbizet Deb Henretta Cheung Yan Yang Mianmian María Aramburuzabala de Garza Sun Yafang Gail Kelly Lubna Olayan Barbara Stymiest Ingrid Matthäus-Maier Kate Swann Chanda Kochhar Ilene Gordon Galia Maor Pansy Ho Françoise Gri Naina Lal Kidwai Yoshiko Shinohara Barbara Dalibard Teresita Sy-Coson Dominique Hériard Dubreuil Imre Barmanbek Dominique Reiniche Sawako Noma Ofra Strauss Clara Gaymard Dong Mingzhu Li Xiaolin Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

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