Dominique Senequier

Senequier has gained significant market power since she spun out private equity group Ardian from insurance giant AXA in 2013. Assets are up 38% to $50 billion since then, with 79% of investors coming from outside of France. Ardian, majority owned by its 350 employees, is a major investor in European infrastructure and one of the biggest providers of private debt to European midcap companies. A former French insurance commissioner , Senequier is the only female in an eight-member executive team, and is also vice-president of the supervisory board of Hermès. —Rupali Arora