Those Who Will Shine in 2026: A Series of Women Who Move the World

Viralterkini.id – From Luana Lopes Lara who now holds the title of youngest self-made female billionaire in the world, to Temasek CFO Png Chin Yee and Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana, a number of female figures are predicted to become important figures worth paying attention to throughout 2026.

Different from the Forbes list 30 Under 30 years old or 50 Over 50The ranking of the 100 Most Influential Women in the World does not rely on public nominations.

The scoring is based on who leads the world’s largest economy, who drives the most strategic technology deals—particularly in the development of the artificial intelligence ecosystem—and who builds the most valuable companies and uses their wealth for social purposes.

However, measuring impact is not always easy due to the time factor. In some cases, election results occur long before the assessment deadline, as in Japan this year which pushed new prime minister Sanae Takaichi straight into the top three on the 2025 list.

On the other hand, there are also CEO appointments that are announced in one year but only become effective the following year, such as Janet Truncale from EY who only joined the list in 2024 after officially taking office.

With these dynamics in mind, here are ten women who enter 2026 with a strong chance of achieving a promotion, a political victory, or a surge in popularity for the brand they built.

Natascha Viljoen

This South African mining executive has served as chief operating officer of Newmont Corporation—a mining company with a market value of around US$97 billion—since 2023. Last September, Newmont announced that Viljoen would officially become CEO starting January 2026.

He will lead the world’s largest producer of gold, copper, zinc, silver and lead. Viljoen admitted that his interest in the world of mining grew since he was a child because he came from a family of mining workers. According to him, industrial challenges in 2026 and beyond require high discipline, innovation and strong focus.

png chin yee

Currently Png Chin Yee serves as Chief Financial Officer of Temasek, a Singaporean state-owned investment company with a portfolio of around 324 billion US dollars. Starting in spring 2026, he will add the position of President of Temasek.

Under his leadership, Temasek’s financial services portfolio underwent major changes, from previously focusing on banking to expanding to digital payments, wealth management, market infrastructure and financial software.

Aicha Evans and Tekedra Mawakana

As CEO of Zoox and co-CEO of Waymo, Evans and Mawakana lead two competing robotaxis companies shaping the future of autonomous transportation in the United States.

Zoox began providing public service in Las Vegas last September by providing free rides on the Strip and plans to expand the service to San Francisco.

Meanwhile, Waymo currently leads with around 300,000 paid trips per week in five cities, with a potential business value estimated at trillions of dollars.

Lucy Guo and Luana Lopes Lara

Last April, Lucy Guo—founder of Scale AI—became the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire at the age of 31. He then founded a new startup called Passes. However, the title has now moved to Luana Lopes Lara.

Lopes Lara, a former Bolshoi ballerina, is the co-founder of Kalshi, an online futures betting platform. In less than six months, Kalshi’s valuation jumped fivefold.

The platform’s weekly transaction volume often exceeds 1 billion US dollars as users bet on sports results, elections and popular cultural events.

Jeannette Jara

Chile will hold presidential elections on December 14. One of the strongest candidates is Jeannette Jara of the Communist Party, a former Minister of Labour, who is running against right-wing candidate José Antonio Kast.

Jara received the most votes in the first round with 27 percent. He proposed a policy program in the form of cash transfers to workers and setting a minimum monthly income.

If elected, she will be the second female president in Chile’s history.

Michelle Bachelet and Rebeca Grynspan

Michelle Bachelet, Chile’s first female president in 2006, is back in the spotlight after announcing her candidacy to be the next Secretary General of the United Nations.

Meanwhile, Rebeca Grynspan—former vice president of Costa Rica and currently Secretary General of UNCTAD—was also nominated by her country.

Elections will take place in the fall of 2026. If one of them is elected, the world will have the first female Secretary General in UN history.

Erika Kirk

Following the death of her husband, Charlie Kirk, in September 2025, Erika Kirk assumed leadership of the conservative organization Turning Point USA as CEO and chairman.

The organization has raised nearly $400 million since its founding in 2012.

Erika has now emerged as a major figure in the movement and is scheduled to go on a media tour to promote her late husband’s latest book entitled Stop, In the Name of the Lord: Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Change Your Life.

These women enter 2026 with growing influence—in business, technology, and global politics.

They not only reflect the changing landscape of world leadership, but also show how power and innovation are now increasingly driven by female figures.

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