The following is a list of women in leadership by nationality – notable women who are well known for their achievements in leadership.
Africa
Kenya Vivienne Yeda Apopo, banker, director general of the East African Development Bank Gina Din (born 1961), businesswoman working in strategic communication and public relations Tabitha Karanja (born 1964), entrepreneur, CEO of Keroche Breweries Stella Kilonzo (born 1975), former CEO of Capital Markets Authority (Kenya), manager at the African Development Bank
Morocco Salwa Idrissi Akhannouch, businesswoman, founder and CEO of the Aksai Group with retail interests
Namibia Clara Bohitile (born 1955), politician, businesswoman, chair of the Meat Corporation of Namibia Monica Nashandi (born 1959), former diplomat and politician, former High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Inge Zaamwani-Kamwi (born 1958), former government minister, former managing director of the Namdeb mining joint venture
Nigeria Olajumoke Adenowo (born 1968), architect, businesswoman, head of the oil and gas firm Advantage Energy, founder of AD Consulting Folorunsho Alakija (born 1951), business tycoon in the fashion, oil and printing industries Folake Coker (born 1974), fashion designer, founder of Tiffany Amber Uche Eze (born 1983), social media expert, entrepreneur, founder of the BellaNaija online magazine Kehinde Kamson (born 1961), entrepreneur, founder and CEO of the fast food company Sweet Sensation Confectionery Abibatu Mogaji (1917–2013), business magnate, President-General, Association of Nigerian Market Women and Men Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli (born 1975), social entrepreneur, co-founder of AACE Food Processing & Distribution, founder of LEAD Africa, a non-profit enterprise encouraging business leadership and development Bola Shagaya (born 1959), businesswoman, managing director of Practoil, board member of Unity Bank, Nigeria
Sierra Leone Isha Johansen, since 2013, president of the Sierra Leone Football Association Asma Mansour (born mid-1990s), entrepreneur, co-founded Tunisian Center for Social Entrepreneurship in 2011
South Africa Judy Dlamini (born 1959), businesswoman, author, Chancellor of the University of the Witwatersrand and the founding chairman of Mbekani Group Mpho Tshivhase (born 1986) philosopher at the University of Pretoria
Uganda Barbara Birungi, technologist, founder of HiveColab Amina Moghe Hersi (born 1963), business executive in Kampala Annet Nakawunde Mulindwa, managing director and chair of Finance Trust Bank
Asia-Pacific
Afghanistan Fatema Akbari, founded the Women Affairs Council in 2004 Roya Mahboob, founder and CEO of Afghan Citadel Software
Australia
Rosie Batty (born 1962), Australian of the Year (2015) Julie Bishop (born 1956), foreign minister since 2013 Jillian Broadbent (born 1948), business executive, board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia, chancellor of the University of Wollongong Elizabeth Broderick, former Australian Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Dame Quentin Alice Louise Bryce (born 1942), Governor-General of Australia (2008–2014) Ita Buttrose (born 1942), journalist, businesswoman, former editor of the Australian Women's Weekly, President of Alzheimers Australia Kate Carnell (born 1955), former Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory, CEO of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kathryn Fagg, prominent businesswoman, board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia Julia Gillard (born 1961), prime minister (2010–2013) Kay Goldsworthy (born 1956), Archbishop of Perth and Metropolitan of the Province of Western Australia in the Anglican Church of Australia Carolyn Hewson, prominent businesswoman Cindy Hook, CEO, Deloitte Australia Joan Kirner (1938–2015), politician, 42nd Premier of Victoria Catherine Livingstone (born 1955), chair of the Business Council of Australia (2014) Tanya Plibersek (born 1969), former Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party and former and current Cabinet Minister. Heather Ridout (born 1954), businesswoman, chair of Australian Super, board member of the Reserve Bank of Australia Gina Rinehart (born 1954), mining magnate, chair of Hancock Prospecting Gillian Triggs (born 1945), president, Australian Human Rights Commission Alison Watkins, CEO, Coca-Cola Amatil Australia Jennifer Westacott, CEO, Business Council of Australia Bangladesh Begum Khaleda Zia (1953–2007), Prime Minister of Bangladesh
China Margaret Chan (born 1947), Chinese (Hong Kong) health specialist, director-general of the World Health Organization Dong Mingzhu, business executive, president of Gree Electric Ping Fu, Chinese-American entrepreneur, founder of Geomagic Gu Kailai (born 1958), former lawyer, businesswoman Liu Chaoying (born 1950s), former executive at China Aerospace International Holdings, Lt. Col in the People's Liberation Army Peng Lei, co-founder and executive of Alibaba Group Zihan Ling, entrepreneur and gender equality proponent, founded Techbase in 2015 Sheng Aiyi (1900–1983), entertainment entrepreneur, general manager of Shanghai BaiLeMen Wu Ying (born 1981), former entrepreneur, convicted of fraud Yang Huiyan (born 1981), majority shareholder of the Country Garden Holdings property group Yang Lan (born 1986), co-founder and chair of Sun Media Group Peggy Yu (born 1965), co-founder of Dangdang, an online retailer Zhang Xin (born 1965), business executive, co-founder and CEO of the real estate developer SOHO China Zhang Yin (born 1957), founder and director of Nine Dragons Paper Holdings Limited Kelly Zong (born 1982), executive and purchasing manager of the Hangzhou Wahaha beverage group
Hong Kong Sally Aw (born 1926), newspaper owner until 1959 Flora Cheong-Leen (born 1959), business executive in fashion Pollyanna Chu, executive with interests in finance and real estate Lydia Dunn, Baroness Dunn (born 1940), business executive, former politician, held senior positions until 1995 Kwong Siu-hing (born 1929), controlling interests in Sun Hung Kai Properties Michelle Sun, entrepreneur, founded First Code Academy in 2013 Yvonne Lui (born 1977), business executive, board member of several companies Annie Wu, businesswoman, founder of Beijing Air Catering, involved in other catering joint ventures
India
Anuradha Acharya (born 1972), entrepreneur, founder and CEO of Ocimum Bio Solutions Vinita Bali (born 1955), CEO of the food products corporation Britannia Industries Avani Davda (born 1980), CEO of the joint venture between Starbucks and Tata Global Beverage Bala Deshpande, senior managing director of the venture capital firm New Enterprise Associates (India) Nisa Godrej, executive director of Godrej Consumer Products Shyamala Gopinath (born 1949), former deputy governor of the Reserve Bank of India, chair of HDFC Bank Vandana Luthra (born 1959), entrepreneur, founder of VLCC Health Care Ltd Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (born 1953), chair and CEO of Biocon Megha Mittal (born 1976), chair and CEO of the German fashion firm Escada Sumati Morarjee (1907–1998), headed the Scindia Steam Navigation Company Leena Nair (born 1969), executive director, HR, Hindustan Unilever Naveen Saini (born 1958), business executive, former CEO of ICICI Prudential, CEO of Oral Developers bank Sheila Sri Prakash (born 1955), Founder and Chief Architect of Shilpa Architects, Board Member of the Chennai Smart Cities Ltd., Member of World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Design Innovation, Role of Arts in Society, and the Future Council on Sustainability and Resource Scarcity Priya Paul (born 1967), Chairperson of Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels (born 1967), chair of Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels Chitra Ramkrishna (born 1963), managing director and CEO, National Stock Exchange of India Kirthiga Reddy (born c.1972), businesswomen, director of sales at Facebook India Nicole Rodrigues-Larsen (born 1973), Dubai-based entrepreneur, founder and managing director of modelling and talent agencies Usha Sangwan, business executive, managing director of Life Insurance Corporation of India Devita Saraf (born 1981), founder and CEO of Vu Technologies Ameera Shah (born 1979), CEO and Managing Director, Metropolis Healthcare Shikha Sharma (born 1958), managing director and CEO of Axis Bank Snehlata Shrivastava (born 1957), government administrator, business executive, board member of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development Mallika Srinivasan (born 1959), chair and CEO of the TAFE farm equipment company Mercy Williams (c.1947–2014), first woman to be mayor of Kochi
Indonesia Karen Agustiawan (born 1958), former managing director and CEO of the Pertamina oil and gas concern Megawati Sukarnoputri (born 1947), politician, President of Indonesia (2001–2004) Mooryati Soedibyo (1928–2024), politician, entrepreneur, founder and owner of Mustika Ratu cosmetics Sri Mulyani Indrawati (born 1962), former Managing Director of the World Bank Group, Minister of Finance of Indonesia Susi Pudjiastuti (born 1965), owner of Susi Air and PT ASI Pudjiastuti Marine Product, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia Tri Rismaharini (born 1961), politician, Mayor of Surabaya
Israel Orit Adato (born 1955), first woman to achieve a three-star rank in Israel
Japan Tatsuuma Kiyo (1809–1900), leading role at the Hakushika sake brewing company Sadako Ogata (1927–2019), international political leader, widely known as the first woman to be appointed as head of the UNHCR (1990-2000) Fumiko Hayashi (born 1946), businessperson and politician, former president of BMW Tokyo, CEO of Daiei Inc., and Mayor of Yokohama
Malaysia Yvonne Chia (born c.1953), business executive, former CEO of Hong Leong Bank, currently CEO of Shell Refining, Malaysia Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (born c.1952), politician, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Rafidah Aziz, politician, Chairman of AirAsia X Muhaini Mahmud, co-founder of Kiddocare App Melissa Ngiam, COO of Yayasan Generasi Gemilang (GG) Jenn Low, founder of Wanderlust + Co Lovy Beh, Director of BP Healthcare Group Raeesa Sya, founder of Orkid Cosmetics
Nepal
Maggie Shah, Jawalakhel Group of Industries
New Zealand Jacinda Ardern (born 1980), Prime Minister of New Zealand, former president of the International Union of Socialist Youth Theresa Gattung, business executive with senior positions in several companies including Bank of New Zealand and Telecom New Zealand Bronwen Holdsworth (born 1943), business woman, arts patron, chair of the Holdsworth Group with interests in farming, property, investment and manufacturing Pauline Kumeroa Kingi (born 1951), Māori community leader Rosanne Meo, board member of several companies including television energy and financial interests Annette Presley (born 1964), telecommunications entrepreneur, co-founder of Slingshot Nicky Wagner (born 1953), politician, government minister outside of cabinet Joan Withers, business executive, chair of Television New Zealand and the Mercury Energy electricity generation company
North Korea Kim Kyong-hui (born 1946), former member of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, former director of WPK Light Industry Department
Pakistan Benazir Bhutto (1953–2007), Prime Minister of Pakistan Begum Kulsum Saifullah Khan (1924–2015), businessperson, politician, chair of the textile conglomerate Saif Group Fahmida Mirza (born 1956), politician, former speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan
Philippines Abby Jimenez, business executive, headed the advertising agency JimenezBasic Patricia Santo Tomas, chair of the Development Bank of the Philippines
Saudi Arabia Nabilah al-Tunisi (born c.1959), general manager of Northern Area Projects for the Saudi Aramco oil and gas company Lubna Olayan (born 1955), influential businessperson, CEO of Olayan Financing Company Ameera al-Taweel (born 1983), princess, philanthropist, vice chairperson of Alwaleed Philanthropies
Singapore Jannie Chan, entrepreneur, president of the Singapore Retailers Association