Robert Pattinson No Longer Wanted in Hollywood

Forbes has ranked the top 50 most powerful women in business globally. We take a look at the global powers behind the scenes of the entertainment industry.

50. Elizabeth Holmes

Holmes is the founder and CEO of Theranos, a medical technology company that develops rapid point-of-care tests and delivers them directly to patients. She is also an active philanthropist who has donated over US$100 million to various charities.

The daughter of Joan and Richard Holmes, she grew up in Palo Alto, California. She has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago. She was the youngest person ever elected to serve as chair of the Genetics Society of America. In 2019, Forbes ranked Holmes 48th on their list of ‘Powerful Women in Business’.

49. Lisa Cochran

Cochran is the founder and CEO of TakeShape, a company that makes smart clothing and accessories for women. She is also the founder and chief stylist of Lisa Cochran Cera, a lifestyle brand that caters to women. She has been described as “the most powerful stylist in the world” and was named among the “Top 50 Influencers to Follow on TikTok” by MarketingCharts. In 2019, Forbes ranked Cochran 43rd on their list of ‘Powerful Women in Business’.

48. Alice Bravo

Bravo is a German businesswoman and the founder and CEO of Bravotomo, an artificial intelligence company that uses machine learning and big data to personalise restaurant orders. She is also the founder and CEO of Women in VR, which builds and operates immersive virtual worlds for businesses and brands. Prior to starting her own companies, she worked for McKinsey & Company and Daimler. She has an MBA from Harvard Business School and a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from the University of Mannheim.

Bravo was named one of Germany’s most promising businesswomen in 2018 and was nominated for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 2019, Forbes listed Bravotomo as one of the fastest growing brands in the VR industry and ranked Bravo 48th on their list of ‘Powerful Women in Business’.

47. Christy Beck

Beck is the founder and CEO of Mylan, a healthcare company that provides treatments for people with hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS. She is also an active philanthropist who has served on the boards of several non-profit organisations, including O.U.R. (Omnibus Unlimited Resources), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Partnership for Prevention. Beck was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and graduated from Vincennes University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics. In 2019, Beck was named as one of Cincinnati’s most successful young business leaders by Cincinnati Magazine as well as one of the region’s 100 Most Influential People.

46. Marjorie Merriweather Post

Post is a British businesswoman known for her work in journalism, fashion and book publishing. She is the founder of a publishing house, Merriweather Post. She is also the chair of the English-speaking Women in Publishing and is a member of the Order of the British Empire. In 1953, she founded the Fashion Club, a society that encourages women to explore fashion, which later evolved into the famous Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

45. Anne Kliazza

Kliazza is an American businesswoman, fashion icon and actress who co-founded the clothing brand Victoria Beckham, which became one of the most influential fashion brands in the world. After graduating from the University of Texas with a degree in business administration, she started her fashion career in London with David Beckham where she eventually worked her way up to become the company’s first global executive officer. She is fluent in English, Italian and French.

Kliazza is considered the “female Michael Jordan” and is one of the most influential female executives in the world. She was ranked No. 43 on Forbes’ 2019 list of the world’s 50 most powerful women. In 2020, Kliazza was appointed to the Order of the British Empire for her services to fashion. She was also named one of Hollywood’s most interesting entrepreneurs by Variety and one of the most influential women in business by Forbes.

44. Marjorie Merriweather Post

Post is a British businesswoman known for her work in journalism, fashion and book publishing. She is the founder of a publishing house, Merriweather Post. She is also the chair of the English-speaking Women in Publishing and is a member of the Order of the British Empire. In 1953, she founded the Fashion Club, a society that encourages women to explore fashion, which later evolved into the famous Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

43. Barbara Hoving

Hoving is the founder and president of the Barbara Hoving Foundation, which builds and supports children’s hospitals. She is also the founder, chairman and CEO of the Barbara Hoving Textiles & Fashion business conglomerate, which owns and operates a number of fashion brands, among them Emilio Pucci, Arpels and Barbara Hoving. She has served as the president of the American Vogue and the Fashion Institute of Technology. Many people know Hoving for her work in fashion, but she has also worked in journalism, real estate and economics.

Hoving was born in New York City and raised in Rye, New York. She graduated from Hunter College with a B.A. in economics and from the New York Institute of Technology with an M.S. in business administration. In 1969, she founded the Barbara Hoving Foundation with the mission of supporting paediatric hospitals. In 1975, she founded the Fashion Institute of Technology and served as the school’s founding president until 1984. She then became the school’s chairman until her retirement in 2015. In 2005, Hoving donated US$50 million to the school to establish a Barbara Hoving Chair in Fashion.

42. Priscilla Chan

Chan is the co-founder of the non-profit organization Livestream which provides live streams of interest to viewers. She also has a seat on the board of directors of TikTok, the video platform that she and her husband, Evan, co-founded. In 2018, her work was recognised with the Breakthrough Award from the World Health Organization (WHO) for devising a tool to help people reduce their tobacco use. She was also named among the “Top 50 Influencers to Follow on TikTok” by MarketingCharts.

41. Sheree Whitfield

Whitfield is the founder, editor-in-chief and publisher of She by Sheree, a quarterly magazine that explores the lives of women in the 21st century. Whitfield previously worked for Essence, Vogue and MarieClaire. She was named one of the “Most Influential Asians in Business” by Business Insider, one of the “Most Influential Women in Business” by Smart Money and one of the “Top 40 Under 40 Influencers” by Tubular. In 2019, she was named to the Power List by Forbes as well as one of “The 40 Most Influential Designers of the Past 40 Years” by Drapersonal.com.

40. Christy Beck

Beck is an American businesswoman, fashion icon and actress who co-founded the clothing brand Victoria Beckham, which became one of the most influential fashion brands in the world. After graduating from the University of Texas with a degree in business administration, she started her fashion career in London with David Beckham where she eventually worked her way up to become the company’s first global executive officer. She is fluent in English, Italian and French.