Ana Botín is once again among the most influential women in the business world. The chairwoman of Banco Santander appears in fifth place in the annual ranking compiled by Fortune magazine on the most powerful women in business, a classification dominated this year by top executives in banking, automotive, and technology.
The 2026 list is headed by Jane Fraser, CEO of Citigroup, followed by Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, and Lisa Su, CEO of AMD, one of the most relevant technology companies in the semiconductor and artificial intelligence sector.
Botín's presence also consolidates the weight of Spanish female executives on the international business scene.
Banking, cars, and artificial intelligence
Fortune once again places the financial and technological sectors at the center of its classification this year.
Jane Fraser maintains leadership at Citigroup in a context marked by the digital transformation of international banking, while Mary Barra continues to be one of the most influential figures in the global automotive industry.
Lisa Su's third position also reflects the growing strategic importance of companies linked to the development of chips, artificial intelligence, and advanced computing.
Fortune itself highlights in the presentation of the ranking the growing impact of executives linked to technological innovation and the digital transformation of large international companies.
The Spanish women on the list
In addition to Ana Botín, the classification includes other Spanish businesswomen with international projection. Marta Ortega, chairwoman of Inditex, is also among the most powerful women in the world according to Fortune, as is Belén Garijo, chairwoman and CEO of the pharmaceutical company Merck.
The presence of these executives once again places Spain on the global map of female business leadership in sectors such as banking, fashion, and the pharmaceutical industry.
The Fortune list is one of the leading business classifications internationally and evaluates factors such as influence, the size of the companies led, global impact, and leadership capacity.
The 2026 edition also reflects the growing weight of sectors linked to artificial intelligence, digitalization, and technological innovation within the global economy.
