Three S'poreans among Forbes Asia’s Power Businesswomen list
SINGAPORE — There's been absolutely no slowing down these stellar women in business in 2021 despite the curveballs thrown at them by the COVID-19 pandemic.
At a time when survival of businesses has been a great challenge since the onset of the pandemic, Asia's most adaptive and zealous businesswomen have emerged unbeaten.
Forbes ranked the best female forces in business across ages and across sectors — spanning manufacturing, health care and technology, banking and private equity, and retail — and arrived at 20 prominent leaders who command startups valued at more than US$100 million or are running businesses with outstanding revenues.
The list is dominated by businesswomen from Japan, Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries. Three notable names from Singapore feature on the Forbes 2021 Asia’s Power Businesswomen list.
What makes this year's list special is that all of them are new entrants amid cutthroat competition.
Three women from Singapore dominate the list
With only 20 spots on this esteemed list, it's noteworthy that three women from Singapore have been named Asia's most powerful.
Helen Wong, Group CEO, OCBC
Her appointment highlights OCBC's focus on succession planning and talent management which she is adept at.
Soon after her appointment at OCBC Bank, Wong undertook the task of co-leading the Transform for Future taskforce to review and redefine the OCBC Group strategy and operating model. She spearheaded a new Sustainability Taskforce to complement OCBC Group’s sustainability efforts and earned great praise for it. Much more to expect from this seasoned banker.
Judy Hsu, CEO for Consumer, Private and Business Banking, Standard Chartered Bank
Judy Hsu, the 58-year-old banker veteran banker, is CEO for consumer, private and business banking at Standard Chartered Bank is a prominent name from Singapore making an appearance on the list.
Having held various leadership roles in Asia, her banking career spans more than 30 years. She has a vast experience in retail banking and wealth management.
At StanChart, she is currently focusing on consolidating retail banking, private banking and wealth management operations under one global business, covering over 50 markets globally.
Since Hsu's appointment at the bank, StanChart has continued to invest heavily in digitalisation with the goal to implement AI and data analytics to target the younger generation.
Ng Gim Choo, Founder, EtonHouse
Ng Gim Choo, 69, is the founder of Singapore-based International Education Group EtonHouse. Under her watch and leadership EtonHouse has grown to house 20,000 students across 130 campuses in 11 Asian countries.
Formerly an accountant, Choo started EltonHouse with the intent of making learning fun and met with immense success which is evident in the fact that her schools run at full capacity despite the slowdown of the pandemic. While many investors have been interested, this powerhouse businesswoman has not sought any external help and refuses to take on investors investments.
Other prominent names from across Asia
Marina Budiman, Cofounder and president commissioner, DCI Indonesia
Cao Xiachun, President, Hangzhou Tigermed Consulting, China
Keiko Erikawa, Executive chairman, Koei Tecmo, Japan
Meena Ganesh, Cofounder and chairperson, Portea Medical, India
Eiko Hashiba, Founder and CEO, VisasQ, Japan
Jo Horgan, Founder and co-CEO, Mecca Brands Australia
Kim Seon-hee, CEO Maeil Dairies, South Korea
Teresa Ko, China chairman, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Hong Kong
Takayo Kotani President, Yushin Precision Equipment, Japan
Lee In-kyung Partner, MBK Partners, South Korea
Janice Lee CEO, Viu, Hong Kong
Winnie Lee, Cofounder and COO, Appier, Taiwan
Farah Malik Bhanji, Managing director, Metro Brands, India
Maria Grace Y. Uy, Cofounder and president, Converge ICT Solutions, Philippines
Wallapa Traisorat, President and CEO, Asset World Corp., Thailand
Nadiah Wan, Group CEO and executive director, TMC Life Sciences, Malaysia
Tessa Wijaya, COO, Xendit, Indonesia
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