Women are taking over the world one position at a time and in the last few years, it comes as no surprise that there are more women in influential roles now, as compared to the last few years. Here is a list of women who are ruling the startup world and the tech world by being really great at their job.

1. Sheryl Sandberg

There are several reasons why Sheryl Sandberg is one the most powerful COOs Facebook has ever had. Working closely with Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl always promoted gender equality in the workplace and became a strong force to be reckoned with by always encouraging women. So powerful was Sandberg’s 2013 Ted Talk speech, that her line “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead,” inspired the formation of an organization called Lean In. Apart from partnering with influential companies to spread the voice of women, Lean In also helps empower women and realise their ambitions. Sheryl Sandberg has always been very vocal about her concerns and through the years, she has proven how you can get things done if you really want to make something happen.

2. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

While an entire company stands in awe of the greatness that is Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, not many know, this lady became the CEO of Biocon without wanting to be one. In fact, she has gone on record and said Biocon was formed as a result of all the gender bias Shaw went through during the early parts of her life. Now, nearly 45 years later, Biocon has grown from just being an enzyme manufacturing company to being the most successful biopharmaceutical company in the country. Helping people fight a wide range of diseases from cancer to diabetes, Shaw made sure Biocon helps in curing ailments which are otherwise extremely harmful.

3. Indra Nooyi 

Recently retired after a long and successful reign as the CEO of Pepsico, Indra Nooyi is an inspiration to women all over the world. What made Nooyi so great as a CEO was how effectively she handled her personal and work life. Her motto to achieve success was never taking work back home and to always focus on the main task at hand, a principle which made her reach the CEO position within a couple of years. Her success and dedication to work was so great, she was included in Forbes’s list of ‘Most Influential Women’ in 2008! One of the reasons for her stupendous rise to success was the strong work life balance Nooyi maintained throughout her life, never letting one take over the other.

4. Arundhati Bhattacharya 

The first woman to head State Bank of India, the largest public sector bank in India, Arundhati Bhattacharya was instrumental in bringing about a large number of changes in banking. Working toward making the life of women better, not just in the corporate world, but in the other walks of life as well, Arundhati Bhattacharya has lived her life to the fullest, giving everyone around her major life goals!

5. Oprah Winfrey

Growing from having nothing to her name to having the world respecting and knowing her, Oprah Winfrey has come a long way! Now known for being the first African American woman billionaire, Oprah has been popular through the years for hosting a talk show which looks at helping people all over the world. After she started making her opinion public, Oprah grew to become one of the most influential women in the world by accepting her past.

It is now the time of women to come to the top and stand apart from the crowd. If you think there are other women who need to be mentioned on this list, comment and let us know!