Top 10 – Meet The Most Powerful Women in the World

Forbes Magazine has released its annual list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the world. Musicians, designers and models all have their place, but the top spots are dominated by some of the most impressive world leaders and CEOs of our time. Take a look at the top ten below, and check out the full list here. ________________________________________ No. 1. Angela Merkel Chancellor, Germany Forbes says: The first political star from the former East Germany since reunification, Chancellor Merkel is also the backbone and an original architect of the 28-member European Union with a GDP of $15.8T. No. 2. Janet Yellen Chair, Federal Reserve, United States Forbes says: Yellen is the first woman to head the most influential central bank in the world, given the size of the Fed's balance sheet ($4T) relative to the U.S. GDP ($16.7T). No. 3. Melinda Gates,  Philanthropist, United States Forbes says: Melinda Gates has cemented her dominance in philanthropy and global development to the tune of $3.4B in giving 2012 (most recent data available) and more than $26B in grant commitments since she founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with her husband in 1998. No. 4. Dilma Rousseff President, Brazil Forbes says: One of the world's most powerful heads of state, Rousseff is more than halfway through her term as president of Brazil, the world's seventh-largest national economy with a GDP of nearly $2.4T. No. 5. Christine Lagarde Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, France Forbes says: The first woman to run the 188-country financial organization has spent much of her first three years in crisis mode, most recently dealing with escalating tensions in Ukraine and approving a $17 billion loan for the country in April. No. 6. Hillary Clinton Former Secretary of State, United States Forbes says: Her upcoming memoir, "Hard Choices," which chronicles her time as Secretary of State, reportedly earned her a high-seven-figure advance. No. 7. Mary Barra CEO, General Motors, United States Forbes says: A 33-year company veteran, Barra took the reins of GM when she became CEO in January. No. 8. Michelle Obama First Lady, United States Forbes says: The Harvard grad and former corporate attorney actively uses her platform as first lady to fight childhood obesity and promote healthier eating and lifestyles. No. 9. Sheryl Sandberg COO, Facebook, United States Forbes says: With a net worth just shy of a billion, Sandberg is COO of the social media giant, which has a $160B market value. No. 10. Virginia Roometty CEO, IBM, United States Forbes says: When IBM saw revenue declines, its CEO passed on an annual bonus, that type of leadership has helped Rometty's rise up the ranks of the technology company, where she first began working at 24 in 1981 as a systems engineer. Celebrities to make the list included Oprah Winfrey at 14, Beyoncé at 17, and Anna Wintour at 39.