Four Hongkongers among world's elite women
Top News | Dominique Nguy 8 Jun 2016Four Hongkongers made it to the list of the world's 100 most powerful women in 2016 compiled by American business magazine Forbes.
World Health Organization director general Margaret Chan Fung Fu- chun led the local luminaries, followed by Kingston Financial Group chief executive Pollyanna Chu Yuet- wah.
Lens Technology founder Zhou Qunfei and Horizon Ventures co- founder Solina Chau Hoi-shuen also made it to the list.
Chan ranked 38th, making her the most influential woman of Hong Kong, while Chu was in 42nd spot.
They both outranked China's first lady, Peng Liyuan, who came in at 58th.
Forbes cited Chan's stature as leader of WHO, a global institution responsible for eradicating communicable diseases, who warned last month that the world is unprepared to cope with present and future outbreaks of infectious diseases.
Under her tenure, WHO gained valuable lessons from the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014 and revamped the institution's emergency response protocol.
Chan's 38th spot ranking this year marked a sharp improvement from 62nd last year.
Forbes said Chu's wealth doubled between 2015 and this year after Kingston Financial's share price soared following a jump in the revenue and profit of its securities brokerage business.
Zhou, who established touch-screen maker Lens Technology, made the list for the first time, occupying the 61st slot.
Forbes described her as the world's richest female founder of a technology firm, with an estimated net worth of about US$8.6 billion (HK$67.08 billion).
Chau, of Horizon Ventures and a director of the Li Ka Shing Foundation, was ranked 81st.
The magazine said Horizon Ventures has so far invested US$420 million in technology companies that led in innovations in the field of global environment and food, artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
Taiwan's first female president, Tsai Ing-wen, came in at 17th spot.
Three other mainlanders made the list, including Alibaba co-founder and chief executive of Alibaba unit Ant Financial Services Lucy Peng Lei, who was in 35th slot.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel topped this year's list, marking the sixth consecutive year that she has done so. She has made it to Forbes's list 11 times.
She was followed by US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Federal Reserve chairwoman Janet Yellen, Melinda Gates who co-chairs the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and General Motors chief executive Mary Barra.
