Search the Internet          Tips  Sites: Finance, Investment

2 Indians among Fortune's 50 most powerful business women

Vidya Chhabria and Naina Lal Kidwai have made it to the list of Fortune magazine's 50 most influential women in international business (outside the United States).

Vidya Chhabria, chairwoman of the Jumbo Group, ranks 44th, while Naina Lal Kidwai, executive vice-chairman and CEO of HSBC Securities and Capital Markets, stands 50th.

Fortune ranked Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo president and CFO, as the fourth most powerful businesswoman in America. Carly Fiorina, chairman and CEO, Hewlett-Packard, was ranked at the first spot, followed by Betsy Holden, co-CEO of Kraft Foods at the second place. Meg Whitman, president and CEO, eBay was third.

In all, 17 women from Asian countries - India, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and the Philippines - were named in the list.

Of them, four ranked in the top 10. They are Mary Ma, chief financial officer of China's Legend Group Holdings at 5, followed by Ho China, executive director of Singapore-based Temasek Holdings at 6, and Lien Siaou-Sze, senior vice-president of Hewlett-Packard Services Asia-Pacific in Singapore at 8, and Eiko Kono, president of Recruit in Japan at 10.

Marjorie Scardino, CEO of Britain's Pearson, was ranked the number one woman in international business, followed by Belinda Stronach, CEO and president of Canada's Magna International, Anne Lauvergeon, executive chairman of France's Areva, and Patricia Barbizet, chief executive of France's Artemis.

In compiling the list, Fortune said women were required to have operating responsibility and those who merely exercise shareholder power were not included.

Fortune said: "Female corporate power is still spread unevenly across the business world. Many cultural, social and logistical issues conspire against women's development in business, from stereotyping to maternity leave."

Other Asians on the list include Xie Qihua, vice-chairman and president of Shanghai Baosteel Group, ranked 18, Nita Ing, chairman of Taiwan High-Speed Railway, ranked 23, followed by Juliet Wu Shihong, vice-president of China's TCL Holdings, and Chua Sock Koon, CFO of Singapore Telecommunication.

Pansy Ho, managing director of Shun Tak Holdings in Hong Kong was in the 31st spot, while Nina Wang, chairwoman of Chinachem, Hong Kong, came in at the 35 place. She is followed by Marjorie Yang, chairman and CEO of Hong Kong's Esquel Group. Teresita Sy-Coson, Executive Vice-President of Philippines-based SM Prime Holdings was in 39th place.

ALSO READ:
More Money Headlines