World's Most Powerful Women 2006

Forbes has ranked the world’s top most powerful women, based on media visibility and economic impact, as:

(1) Angela Merkel, German chancellor
(2) Condoleezza Rice, US secretary of state
(3) Wu Yi, Chinese vice-premier
(4) Indra Nooyi, chief executive-designate, PepsiCo
(5) Anne Mulcahy, chairman and chief executive, Xerox
(6) Sallie Krawcheck, chief financial officer, Citigroup
(7) Patricia Woertz, chief executive, Archer Daniels Midland
(8) Anne Lauvergeon, chairman Areva
(9) Brenda Barnes, chairman and chief executive, Sara Lee
(10) Zoe Cruz, co-president, Morgan Stanley

The German Chancellor came out of nowhere (not on last year’s list) to displace Condi and Wu Yi each by one ranking.

Of the top 5 last year, which includes Yulia Tymoshenko, the Prime Minister of Ukraine (No 3), my girlfriend Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the President of Philippines and object of my Lustful Fantasy (No 4), and Margaret Whitman, the CEO of eBay (no 5), only Condi and Wu Yi remained in the top five.

However, Asia is still represented in the top 5 by two ladies, China's Wu Yi and Indian-born Indra Nooyi.

Also appearing on the list for the first time are Chilean President Michelle Bachelet (No 17), Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf (No 51st) and South Korean Prime Minister Han Myung-Sook (No 68).

After falling from No 22 (2004) to No 75 (2005), Queen Elizabeth II has claimed back some position to be No 46th this year.

UK Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett is placed at No 29 but the UK PM's wife, Cherie Blair, has disappeared from her 62nd place on last year’s list. In 2004 Cherie Blair was 12th.