Forbes “50 over 50” list
Three Germans are among the most influential women in 2024
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Women can’t just be successful at a young age! This is proven by Forbes magazine’s “50 over 50” list. This year there are also three Germans taking part – two entrepreneurs and an entertainer.
This time the new “50 over 50” list is about female power Europethe Middle East and Africa. Personalities include: female founders, CEOs, women humanitarians and pioneers in a field.
Among them are an author from France, an architect from Nigeria and the highest-ranking nun in the Vatican – the personalities are diverse. But who from Germany made it onto the list? A German entertainer might surprise some people.
“50 over 50” – these three Germans were selected
Melanie Kreis (52)
Melanie Kreis has been on the board of the DHL Group since 2014. Her area of work primarily deals with the finances of the logistics giant. Last year, Kreis was also unanimously elected President of the German Stock Institute (DAI). In office, she wants to use the capital market expertise of the DAI and work with her board members in dialogue with politicians to promote open, high-performance capital markets, according to a press release from the stock institute.
Anke Engelke (58)
The comedian and entertainer Anke Engelke is known to most people in Germany. She is mentioned in Forbes magazine, among other things, for her Spotify podcast “Quality Time” together with Riccardo Simonetti. The pair’s latest project is “FREE HUGS” – according to the description on the platform, it is a “weekly hug for the soul”. The LOL: Last One Laughing contest on Amazon Prime is also featured on Forbes. Engelke won the third season there. Last year she was also seen in the mini-series “Deutsches Haus” on Disney Plus.
Susanne Klatten (61)
BMW’s major shareholder Susanne Klatten is considered the richest woman in Germany – according to an interview with the Süddeutsche Zeitung, she uses her wealth to invest in innovative companies. Klatten has billions at his disposal. In 2002 she founded the non-profit “EntrepreneurTUM GmbH”. It is the leading center for startups and innovation in Europe, with more than 50 high-growth technology startups every year. Susanne Klatten is a member of various supervisory boards. These include ALTANA AG, BMW AG and SPRIN-D GmbH.
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The background to “50 over 50”
With the “50 over 50” Forbes magazine wants to draw attention to the fact that age can be a superpower. The women on the list are breaking records, changing old role models and the world – through innovations in their work areas or their social commitment. The oldest woman in the “50 over 50” is actress Maggie Smith, who became the face of a new Loewe campaign in 2023 at the age of 88. The list is published in collaboration with Mika Brzezinski, founder of the digital platform “Know Your Value”, which specializes in female empowerment.
Sources used: open.spotify.com, anke-engelke.de, forbes.com, sueddeutsche.de, Unternehmertum.de, group.dhl.com, dai.de, edition.cnn.com,