Clinton, Obama high in Forbes’ ‘100 most powerful women’
BY SANDRA GUY Business Reporter sguy@suntimes.com August 24, 2011 9:19PM
Michelle Obama | AP
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Updated: November 4, 2011 9:32AM
Five women with Chicago ties make this year’s list of Forbes magazine’s “100 Most Powerful Women:” Native Chicagoan and first lady Michelle Obama, Park Ridge native Hillary Rodham Clinton, Kraft Foods CEO Irene Rosenfeld, former TV talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, and Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund and former chair of Chicago’s Baker & McKenzie law firm.
The list measures the women’s influence, constituencies, connectivity, media buzz and wealth.
A sixth with an Illinois base is Patricia Woertz, CEO of Decatur-based agribusiness conglomerate Archer Daniels Midland.
Clinton and Lagarde climbed up the clout ranking, while the others fell — Obama to No. 8 this year from No. 1 last year; Rosenfeld to No. 10 from No. 2; Winfrey to No. 14 from No. 3, and Woertz to No. 45 this year from No. 26 last year.
Topping the list at No. 1 is German Chancellor Angela Merkel, followed by Clinton, who moved up to No. 2 from last year’s No. 5.
Lagarde, whose ranking jumped to No. 9 from last year’s No. 43, is profiled in the magazine’s cover story, which looks at how her free-market policies will influence how Europe deals with its financial crisis.
The youngest to debut? Lady Gaga, 25, at No. 11 the top “power Twitterer” and most powerful celebrity. Her Facebook page has 36 million fans. The oldest on the list is Queen Elizabeth II, 85, at No. 49.
Others of note: Newswomen making their own news on the list, including, in order, New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson; Disney Media Networks Co-chair Anne Sweeney; Huffington Post Editor in Chief Arianna Huffington; ABC-TV’s “This Week” anchor Christiane Amanpour; World News anchor Diane Sawyer; BBC News Group director Helen Boaden; NBCU Cable Entertainment and Cable Studios Chairman Bonnie Hammer; “Today” show co-anchor Ann Curry; “On the Record” host Greta Van Susteren, and Newsweek and Daily Beast Editor in Chief Tina Brown.
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