Ukraine’s First Lady Zelenska makes it to 2023 Financial Times most influential women list

The first lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, was included in the Financial Times list of the 25 most influential women of 2023.

Rubryka writes about this, referring to the corresponding list published by the Financial Times.

The media outlet noted that this special project was created over several months based on consultations with FT journalists, readers, and industry leaders.

"The end result is a list filled with women who have received prestigious accolades, but even Nobel Prizes, Pulitzers, Grammys, and World Cups fail to fully capture the multi-faceted nature of their work," emphasized the editor of the publication, Roula Khalaf.

A short text about Olena Zelenska was written by the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas.

"What I admire most about Olena Zelenska is her honesty. (…) She knows what it is like to wake up to see your homeland invaded by an imperialist neighbor, not to know when, or if, you will next see your loved ones, and how to find the strength to fight for freedom despite it all," she wrote.

Kallas emphasized that she has become a "world symbol of resilience." And that Estonia cooperates with Zelenska's foundation to build family homes for Ukrainian orphans.

"She is remarkable in her attention to detail and her ability to listen. The world should now listen to Zelenska and give Ukraine what it needs to defeat Russia and end the suffering," added the Estonian Prime Minister.

The Financial Times also notes that their list of the most powerful women is not ranked.

The Financial Times Most Influential Women of 2023

• Margot Robbie — is an Australian actress and co-founder of the production company LuckyChap Entertainment. She is known for her roles as Harley Quinn in "Suicide Squad" and Barbie doll.

• Beyonce is an American singer. She has won 32 Grammy Awards (the most by any artist), and Time listed her as one of the 100 Women Who Defined the 21st Century.
• Barbara Kingsolver is an American writer and poet. 2010 Orange Award Winner, Pulitzer Prize, and PEN/Faulkner American Literary Award Nominee.
• Phoebe Philo is an English designer. She was the creative director of the fashion brands Céline from 2008 to 2017 and Chloé from 2001 to 2006.
• Lola Shoneyin is a Nigerian poet and writer. She won the PEN Award in the United States, as well as the Ken Saro-Wiwa Prize for Prose in Nigeria.
• Alia Bhatt is an Indian actress and singer—winner of the Filmfare Award for Best Actress, according to critics.
• Aespa is a South Korean girl band consisting of four members: Karina, Giselle, Winter, and Ninnin. They became the third female K-pop group to perform at Coachella in 2023.

• Mira Murati is an Albanian engineer. Serves as CTO of OpenAI since 2018 and Interim CEO of OpenAI since November 2023 (following the resignation of Sam Altman).
• Makiko Ono is the CEO of Suntory Beverages and Food.
• Fran Drescher is an American actress and president of SAG-AFTRA.
• Lisa Dyson is an American scientist, physicist, and entrepreneur. In 2015 and 2016, the San Francisco Business Times named her "one of the most powerful women in the Bay Area."
• Carol Tome is the Chief Executive Officer of United Parcel Service.
• Karin Keller-Sutter is the head of the Swiss Federal Department of Finance. Marie-Claire Daveu is an engineer and chief sustainability and institutional affairs officer.
• Marina Silva is Brazil's Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
• Ursula von der Leyen is the President of the European Commission.

We will remind that for her contribution to the protection of the mental health of Ukrainians, First Lady Olena Zelenska received the award for "Leadership in the field of health care and human rights." In particular, for the fact that more than 60,000 specialists have undergone specialized training.

In addition, the day before, the American publication Politico announced its new ranking of the most influential figures in Europe, where the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, was named the Dreamer of the year.