{"id":6073,"date":"2026-10-05T23:44:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T23:44:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vaultinsider.top\/?p=6073"},"modified":"2026-10-05T23:44:49","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T23:44:49","slug":"beyond-the-boardroom-asias-10-influential-women-to-watch-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vaultinsider.top\/?p=6073","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the boardroom: Asia\u2019s 10 influential women to watch in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
Power in Asia extends well beyond the C-suite. Across sport, culture, science and public life, women from the region are reaching the top of their fields\u2014and, increasingly, attracting attention far beyond them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n
Here are Fortune<\/em>\u2019s 10 influential women to watch in Asia in 2026.\u00a0For more, see who made the 2026 Fortune Most Powerful Women Asia list here. <\/p>\n\n
An Se-young | South Korea<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
At 24, An Se-young isn\u2019t just the world\u2019s best women\u2019s badminton player. She\u2019s now the sport\u2019s defining competitor, giving South Korea a new sporting star in a game where the country is a global force. Already an Olympic champion and the world\u2019s No. 1 singles player, An took her dominance to another level this year, capturing her second world championship in August and following it up with a gold at this year\u2019s Asian Games. She\u2019s the first woman to win back-to-back singles titles at the Asian Games.\u00a0She\u2019s lost just once in 57 matches so far this year.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
<\/div>Gold medalist An Seyoung of South Korea poses during the awarding ceremony for the women\u2019s singles of badminton at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Ichinomiya of Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Sept. 29, 2026.<\/figcaption>
Li Bo\u2014Xinhua via Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
Cho Eun-hee | South Korea<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Chef and culinary educator Cho Eun-hee\u00a0is helping to transform Korean food from a pop-culture fad to global fine dining.\u00a0A holder of Korea\u2019s Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 38 certification for Joseon royal court cuisine, she leads the kitchen at Seoul\u2019s Michelin-starred Onjium.\u00a0In 2026, Cho was named Asia\u2019s Best Female Chef, while Onjium ranked No. 14 on Asia\u2019s 50 Best Restaurants. She\u2019s showing that centuries-old royal court cuisine can appeal to a new generation of diners at home and abroad.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Alex Eala | Philippines<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
When Fortune <\/em>highlighted Alex Eala last year, the tennis star had reached her first WTA Tour final and climbed to a career-high No. 54. A year later, she has taken another leap by becoming the first Filipino to win a WTA Tour title in Washington, D.C. She also broke into the world\u2019s top 20, and reached the fourth round at Wimbledon\u2014the best showing by a Filipino player at the tournament. She\u2019s\u00a0notched wins against some of the biggest names in women\u2019s tennis. Her success is changing expectations for Philippine tennis, showing that Filipino players can compete\u2014and win\u2014at the highest levels of the international game.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
<\/div>Alexandra Eala of Philippines competes against Wang Xiyu of China in Tennis Women\u2019s Singles Semi-finals match on day 12 of the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya at Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center on Oct. 1, 2026.<\/figcaption>
Can you both preserve\u00a0natural environments and\u00a0protect the people who live alongside them? Acehnese conservationist Farwiza Farhan has spent years fighting to protect Sumatra\u2019s Leuser Ecosystem\u2014perhaps the last place on Earth where elephants, tigers, rhinos and orangutans still coexist in the wild.\u00a0Through grassroots organization HAkA, she has combined conservation with advocacy for local communities. In 2026, that work earned her the Whitley Gold Award, one of conservation\u2019s most prestigious honors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Lai Ka-ying | Hong Kong<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Just a few years ago,\u00a0Lai Ka-ying was investigating crimes in Hong Kong.\u00a0In May, she\u00a0became the first person from Hong Kong to travel to space when she joined China\u2019s Shenzhou-23 mission to the Tiangong space station. The former Hong Kong Police superintendent holds a Ph.D. in computer forensics and was selected for China\u2019s astronaut program in 2024. She is also China\u2019s first female payload specialist and the country\u2019s fourth woman in space.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
<\/div>Tao Okamoto, winner of the Best Performance by an Actress Award for \u201cAll Of A Sudden\u201d speaks during the Palme d\u2019Or winners press conference at the 79th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 23, 2026 in Cannes, France. <\/figcaption>
Hoda Davaine\u2014Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
Tao Okamoto | Japan<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Japanese actress and model Tao Okamoto, known professionally as TAO, reached a career milestone in May when she became the first Japanese woman to win Cannes\u2019 Best Actress award. She shared the prize with Virginie Efira for their performances in Ryusuke Hamaguchi\u2019s All of a Sudden<\/em>, marking a breakthrough moment in a career that has crossed fashion, Hollywood and Japanese cinema. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Aireen Omar | Malaysia<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Malaysia is becoming one of the key nodes in the AI supply chain, home to both a growing data-center and semiconductor sector. And the government has tapped Aireen Omar, the former CEO of AirAsia, to help steer that effort.\u00a0After two decades helping build AirAsia and its parent Capital A, she was appointed in September as the inaugural chair of AI Malaysia, the country\u2019s lead AI agency, charged with coordinating the National AI Action Plan 2026\u20132030.\u00a0Omar now has a hand in determining how Malaysia develops, governs and adopts AI.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n
<\/div>Aireen Omar, then-deputy group chief executive officer of AirAsia Bhd., speaks during an interview in Sepang, Malaysia, on Thursday, May 16, 2019.<\/figcaption>
Ian Teh\u2014Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
Shu Qi | Taiwan<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
After decades as one of Asian cinema\u2019s most recognizable stars, Shu Qi is building a second career behind the camera. Her directorial debut, Girl<\/em>, competed for the Golden Lion at Venice in 2025 before earning her the Best Director award at the Busan International Film Festival. The film\u2019s run continued this year, winning Best Film at the Asian Film Festival in Rome, while Shu Qi was named Best New Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards. Now Girl<\/em> is in contention at Taiwan\u2019s Golden Horse Awards, where Shu Qi is nominated for another Best New Director award. Girl<\/em> has established Shu Qi as a filmmaker in her own right\u2014an unusual second act for a star of her stature.<\/p>\n
Chloe Tong | Singapore<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Philanthropist Chloe Tong has become a visible advocate for children and young people. Through the ACE Team Foundation, which she co-founded with her husband, Grab CEO Anthony Tan, Tong supports causes ranging from autism services to youth development. This year, she turned her attention to bullying, launching the #STOPbullying campaign and enlisting prominent figures from business, entertainment, sport and government to help draw attention to the issue. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n
<\/div>eeno Thitikul of Thailand poses with the trophy after her winning birdie putt on the 18th green during the final round of the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei 2026 at Hoakalei Country Club on October 04, 2026 in Ewa Beach, Hawaii. <\/figcaption>
Christian Petersen\u2014Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
Jeeno Thitikul | Thailand<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Jeeno Thitikul is part of a remarkable generation of Asian women reshaping professional golf. Her rise to the top of the Ladies Professional Golf Association gives Thailand another global sporting star\u2014and a successor to the Thai players who put the country on the map in the women\u2019s game. Thai golfer Jeeno Thitikul entered 2026 as the reigning LPGA Player of the Year after a record-breaking season in which she posted the lowest single-season scoring average in the organization\u2019s history. The 23-year-old has added three more LPGA victories this year, including a triumph on home soil at the Honda LPGA Thailand, taking her career total to 10 and cementing her place among the game\u2019s elite. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Power in Asia extends well bey… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6074,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[390,9182,6389,5057,1980,473,327,1616,167],"class_list":["post-6073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finance-news","tag-asias","tag-boardroom","tag-film","tag-influential","tag-most-powerful-women","tag-philanthropy","tag-sports","tag-watch","tag-women"],"yoast_head":"\n
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