Age: 41
Country: United States
Sphere of influence: Business
Turning to Facebook in 2008 from its main rival, Google, she helped increase the number of users of social networks from 70 million to 750 million: now use Facebook 11% of the total population. Sheryl Sandberg has helped monetize these figures. Startup, who was born in a student residence, preparing for an IPO in early 2012, where it can be estimated at $ 100 billion earned an MBA at Harvard, Sandberg worked at the Treasury under Bill Clinton and was vice-president of Google. One of the relatively few known representatives of their sex in the technology business, she advocates for women: "We still have not achieved full equality between women and men at work and at home - she wrote in one of his columns in August. - We can and must improve. "
Age: 57
Country: Germany
Sphere of influence: politics
German Chancellor Angela Merkel headed the strongest European economies in the EU is the undisputed leader. Although the German economy until recently has grown rapidly, and unemployment fell, Merkel has faced many challenges: the loss of voters supported the crisis euro zone, where Germany is destined to save their weaker neighbors. It will have to stabilize the debt and the European Union to maintain the unity of the eurozone. Together with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Merkel calls for closer economic and political integration in the eurozone. And in Germany, it's rating continues to fall: it is supported by only 36% of Germans, the lowest figure in five years.
Born in East Germany and grew up in a socialist economy, Merkel admits: "I still buy something as soon as I see, even if I do not need. This is a deeply rooted habit. "
Age: 63
Country: United States
Sphere of influence: politics
Hillary Clinton's second year of successfully coping with the post of U.S. Secretary of State. For her it was a difficult year: the Middle East, a wave of revolutions, WikiLeaks has published secret dispatch of U.S. intelligence agencies. Hillary announced that there will be secretary of state for a second term and would not stand in the presidential election in 2016, but who said that she was ready to retire? There are rumors that Clinton hopes to lead the World Bank.
Clinton said that watching the operation to eliminate Bin Laden, together with President Barack Obama, she had "the most tense moments in life", but stressed that covered her mouth is not out of fear, but to relieve the cough.
Age: 63
Country: Brazil
Sphere of influence: politics
Dilma Rusef occupied the top ranks of news, when in October, was elected president of the country with the largest economy in Latin America. For the first time a woman holds the post. But the election results were not quite so surprising. In 2005, President-Reformist Lula da Silva appointed her as headmistress of the device (and in this position before Dilma women were not) - then everyone expected it would be his successor. Her political career is remarkable. A member of the radical labor movement, she spent two years in prison. Following the appointment of the Minister of Energy Rusef in 2001, her views began to change to a more pragmatic and "capitalist".
In his spare time policy Rusef loves to be in the theater - prefers the classic Greek drama and opera.
Age: 55
Country: United States
Sphere of influence: Business
With annual revenues of $ 60 billion PepsiCo - the largest company on manufacture of food products and beverages in the United States. Its sales equal to the GDP of Croatia. Indra Nooyi for five years as CEO PepsiCo: at the beginning of its team of 300 000 employees worldwide. In light of the world struggle with being overweight Indra plans to expand the 2020 production of food with $ 13 billion to $ 30 billion, adding to the range of cereals and dairy products, fruits and vegetables, products for athletes. In the past year it has increased the research budget of up to $ 488 million, trying to open a low-calorie recipe is a delicious soda. It will have to hurry up in March, "Pepsi," slipped to third place in popularity after the "Cola" and "Diet Coke".
Indra Nooyi said that he could distinguish the taste of "Pepsi" from "Cola".
Melinda Gates, director of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Age: 47
Country: United States
Sphere of influence: charity
Melinda Gates - Co-founder and co-director of the largest and most generous private charitable foundation in the world. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation invests in the fight against poverty, health and education. Last year he spent on charitable programs $ 2.5 billion, Melinda was studying computer science at Duke University, the same holds an MBA, and after graduation went to Seattle to become a developer at Microsoft. In 1994 she married the founder of Microsoft Bill Gates, and soon left the company, taking up a charitable foundation. Over the past 8 years, couple donated to charity $ 24 billion, or two-thirds of his fortune.
Interestingly, in the Gates house is prohibited products Apple, but Melinda admitted that she used the iPhone.
Age: 47
Country: United States
Sphere of influence: charity
Melinda Gates - Co-founder and co-director of the largest and most generous private charitable foundation in the world. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation invests in the fight against poverty, health and education. Last year he spent on charitable programs $ 2.5 billion, Melinda was studying computer science at Duke University, the same holds an MBA, and after graduation went to Seattle to become a developer at Microsoft. In 1994 she married the founder of Microsoft Bill Gates, and soon left the company, taking up a charitable foundation. Over the past 8 years, couple donated to charity $ 24 billion, or two-thirds of his fortune.
Interestingly, in the Gates house is prohibited products Apple, but Melinda admitted that she used the iPhone.
Age: 64
Country: India
Sphere of influence: politics
In 2010, Sonia Gandhi was unanimously re-elected president of Indian National Congress for the fourth time. This is a record in the history of the party. Born in Italy, Sonia came to India, leaving in 1968 married Rajiv Gandhi, the successor political dynasty Nehru-Gandhi. For two decades she has played a modest role as a wife politician, and after her husband's assassination in 1998, took the lead. She refused to become prime minister when her party won elections in 2004 and 2009, authorizing this Manmohan Singh. Gandhi praised for economic growth and criticized for the fact that it tolerates political corruption and can not win the trust of a growing group of young voters.
Gandhi - a great connoisseur of art, she has a diploma restorer oil painting.
Age: 47
Country: United States
Sphere of influence: politics
Michelle Obama is more popular than her husband: her rating of 70%, and the rating of Barack Obama - less than 40%. First Lady remains popular because of its fight against child obesity and stylish clothes. This year, she was inspired by such companies as Coca-Cola, Kellogg and General Mills in fact to reduce the calorie content of their products by 2012.
Last year, Michelle Obama has had time to make official visits to Africa, India, Latin America and the UK.
Christine Lagarde
Age: 55
Country: France
Sphere of influence: politics
In June, Christine Lagarde has become the first woman to head the IMF, succeeding the retired Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Lagarde was born in France but almost poolvinu life spent in the U.S. - went to Chicago and then worked at the law firm Baker McKenzie, where she specialized in labor and anti-trust laws. By becoming a partner, and then headed the firm, she led Baker McKenzie in emerging markets. In 2003, Lagarde returned to France, and in 2007 newly elected President Nicolas Sarkozy appointed her Minister of Finance. Lagarde has played a major role in the withdrawal of France from the financial crisis and deal with the crisis in the eurozone.
Prior to the legal and political housings Lagarde spoke in the French national team in synchronized swimming.
Age: 58
Country: United States
Sphere of influence: Business
Irene Rosenfeld, head Kraft Foods, the second largest food producer in the world. She manages 170,000 employees in 170 countries. In 2004 she became CEO of Pepsi-owned company's Frito-Lay, and in 2006 headed by Kraft Foods. Under her leadership, the company entered the IPO, it held the integration of Nabisco, LU and Cadbury and increased annual revenue by 43% to $ 49.2 billion in 2010.
Here's how to determine the nature of power Irene: "Leadership is service. I'm here to help the organization achieve its goals, not to staff played my desire. "
