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.

6 of 50

6. Anne-Marie Idrac

President
SNCF

Country: France
2006 rank: 3

Since taking over the state-owned French railway last summer, Idrac has had a smooth ride. SNCF opened its latest high-speed TGV, to Strasbourg, and lost relatively few days to strikes. Now she's moving to overhaul inefficient freight operations. Idrac, 55, is also on the front lines as the government moves to abolish perks for railroad employees that allow retirement as early as 50.

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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