Top 10 Business Women in Their Region 2025
International Women’s Day is a time to honor the strength, resilience, and achievements of women around the world. It’s a reminder of how far we’ve come in the fight for gender equality and how much more we can achieve together. From breaking barriers in business and leadership to shaping societies with compassion and courage, women continue to inspire change every day.
Let’s celebrate their contributions, uplift their voices, and work towards a future where every woman has the opportunity to thrive. 💜 #InternationalWomensDay #EmpowerHer #WomenInLeadership
1) Katrina Graue – Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany
Leading the PetTech Revolution with Innovation and Compassion
Katrina Graue, CEO and Founder of PawPro GmbH, stands out as one of the top 50 women entrepreneurs leading in their region. With a deep passion for pet wellness and an MBA to back her strategic vision, Katrina has positioned PawPro as a leader in the PetTech industry. Her groundbreaking work includes AI-driven veterinary services and a revolutionary probiotic health formula for dogs, shifting the focus from treating diseases to preventing them.
Katrina’s ability to forge strong international partnerships has been instrumental in spreading this proactive approach to pet health. Her leadership combines German precision with a global outlook, redefining pet care standards worldwide.
Beyond business success, Katrina’s dedication to the Pawsitive Care Foundation underscores her commitment to responsible pet ownership and preventive care. Through this initiative, she ensures that pets in homes and shelters alike have access to quality nutrition, healthcare, and a nurturing environment. Katrina Graue’s visionary leadership and heartfelt mission make her a true trailblazer in the global pet industry, setting new benchmarks in both business and animal care.
Connect with Katrina Graue on LinkedIn
2) Maren Wölfl – Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Maren Wölfl has founded the FEMALE WAKE-UP CALL, a platform and call for more women in Leadership.
She is a Top Business Coach, author, and entrepreneur based in Vienna, Austria, with over 15 years of experience empowering women in leadership roles. Her professional journey encompasses several management positions in international consumer goods companies across Vienna, Salzburg, and Frankfurt. In 2023, she authored the book “Kind und Karriere – es geht beides!” (“Children and Career – Both Are Possible!”), offering insights and strategies for women striving to balance professional ambitions with motherhood. Her dedication to fostering authentic female leadership and integrating feminine competencies into the modern workplace led her to establish the “FEMALE WAKE-UP CALL” initiative, which provides specialized coaching programs designed to help women harmonize their careers and personal lives. As a mother of three, Wölfl brings personal experience to her advocacy, emphasizing the importance of self-care, a success-oriented mindset, and the courage to lead authentically.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions, Wölfl was honored as Entrepreneur of the YeaR 2024. She delivered a compelling TEDx talk titled “How Intuition and Courage Lead You Through Crisis,” where she shared personal experiences on connecting with one’s intuition during challenging times. In her talk, Wölfl advocates for leveraging gut feelings and common sense to navigate crises, encouraging women to trust their inner voices and bring their unique perspectives to decision-making tables. Her message underscores the necessity of female representation in leadership, aiming to create a more inclusive and sustainable working world.
Connect with Maren Wölfl on LinkedIn
3) Cheryll Rogers – Thornicombe, England, United Kingdom
Cheryll Rogers: A Trailblazer in Women’s Entrepreneurship and Social Impact
Cheryll Rogers stands as a formidable force in the world of entrepreneurship and social impact. As the CEO of FairBreak Global, she is revolutionizing gender equality in cricket, creating opportunities for women worldwide to shine in the sport. Beyond the field, she is the visionary Founder and Impact Catalyst at Unicorn Collective, where she drives strategic philanthropy and sustainable solutions to empower communities globally.
Her commitment to social change extends to her role as an ambassador for the #SeeTheGoodNow campaign, a movement that fosters positivity and unity. Additionally, her sponsorship of the Antigua Summer Writing Competition highlights her dedication to literacy and nurturing young talent. A leader in every sense, Cheryll seamlessly balances her professional excellence with personal fulfillment, celebrating over three decades of marriage while being a devoted mother and grandmother.
With a career spanning over a decade across multiple industries, including health, wellness, philanthropy, and sports, Cheryll’s global influence is undeniable. Her work—stretching across the UK and remote spaces—continues to shape industries, making her a true inspiration among the top 50 women entrepreneurs leading in their region this Women’s Day.
Connect with Cheryll Rogers on LinkedIn
Visit See The Good Now and Fairbreak to learn more about it.
4) Dr Amina Wakefield – Greater Cambridge Area
Dr. Wakefield: Transforming Global Education & Empowering Women in Business
Dr. Wakefield is a trailblazing entrepreneur, education leader, and a driving force behind the global expansion of British education. Her extraordinary journey exemplifies the power of education to transform lives, shape industries, and create lasting economic impact. For over 30 years, she has led British businesses into challenging emerging markets, continuously staying ahead of global education trends.
Renowned for her advocacy for equity in education, Dr. Wakefield has been instrumental in empowering women to unlock their full entrepreneurial potential. As a pioneer across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, she spearheaded the establishment of the first British schools, training centers, and higher education institutions in multiple countries. Her expertise extends beyond creating world-class learning opportunities—she has also built a bespoke business service dedicated to supporting women in launching their own education enterprises.
Dr. Wakefield’s contributions to international education and business innovation have earned her unprecedented recognition. With an unmatched 29 industry awards—the highest ever received by any education leader—her impact is undeniable. Her impressive portfolio includes 308 education projects across 22 countries, a business footprint in 60 nations, and a remarkable £220 million in export revenue for British education.
It’s no surprise that she has once again been honoured with the 2025 Influential Women in Business Award and the 2025 Award of Excellence for Professional & Academic Services. Dr. Wakefield’s visionary leadership continues to shape the future of education and entrepreneurship, solidifying her place among the World’s 50 Women Who Are Changing the World through Entrepreneurship.
Connect with Dr. Wakefield on LinkedIn
5) Femke van Loon – Rome, Latium, Italy
BUSINESS HUMANIZER AT INNATE MOTION.
I am a founding partner at Innate Motion.
We created Innate Motion to help leaders grow their business by making it a force for progress – building brands that thrive because they provide real value to the people and the world. We call that humanizing business, so that makes me a business humanizer!
We run global human insight work, fuel leading brands with cultural currency and build approaches and strategic thinking tools to integrate sustainability and branding.
We fuel the regenerative business movement, for people, as people. We unlock change, using our shared humanity as inspiration and empathy fitness to relate on a human level.
We operate as thought leaders and changemakers in the field, re-inventing marketing and positioning with companies such as Unilever, Barilla or Whirlpool.
I live in Rome with my family. My 2 girls Sara and Lisa inspire me every day to keep my feet on the ground while reaching for the stars.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/femkevanloon/
6) Maria Bravo – Beverly Hills, California, United States
Maria was born in Marbella, Spain. She studied business and because of her work, it took her to live all over the world including Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States.
Maria then spent time working in the Entertainment Industry producing and acting in Films and Television. After several years of making connections with the world’s most influential people, Maria decided she would use her connections and business sense to bring an entrepreneurial approach to philanthropy, effecting positive changes in the world. In 2005, Maria started MandA Events, an event company which brings together celebrities, corporations, and charities to brand philanthropic fundraising events all over the world.
Celebrity clients that Maria works with closely includes Eva Longoria, Rafa Marquez, Antonio Banderas, Tony Parker, Goldie Hawn, Deepak Chopra, Terrence Howard, Vicente Del Bosque, Mariah Carey, Leona Lewis, Hayden Christensen, Alec Baldwin and many more. She has accomplished to brand some of the highest profile celebrity events in the philanthropic world.
The Noble Gift Gala in London, The Global Gift Gala (Marbella, Paris & Istanbul), The Starlite Gala in Marbella, Spain, The Par Coeur Gala in Paris, Playing for Hope in Los Angeles, Rally for Kids with Cancer in Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and Toronto, just to name a few… María defines herself as a “Philanthropreneur” and a “dot connector”. She brings together the worlds of philanthropy, celebrities, and corporations to give financial support and media awareness to fiscally responsible foundations through her branding events worldwide.
Maria’s Company, “MandA Events” is known as the giving-back event producer of Hollywood. Maria can be seen in her own TV show on Spanish Television “Casadas con Miami” and “Casadas con Hollywood”, where she highlights her life and her Philanthropreneur work all over the world.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-bravo-a2887b17/
7) Jo McCauley – New Zealand
Over 25+ years’ experience in driving business growth, holding executive roles across sales, product, customer service, and marketing. Roles held have been in the UK and NZ, working for prominent consumer brands (start-ups, established enterprises, large groups). Operating with an accessible leadership approach to motivate cross-functional teams. Experience of reporting to Boards, member of the Institute of Directors NZ and Co-Chair of a charity.
Leadership: CEO-level executive with a track record of creating high-performing, cross-functional teams and guiding organisational strategy and culture.
Strategy and Risk Management: Accountable for the development and delivery of organisational strategy, while ensuring solid compliance and risk management practices.
Business Growth and Profitability: Full responsibility for the P&L, primarily in growth businesses, but also experienced in leading during downturns.
Business Transformation: Experience in steering extensive business transformation, both digital and cultural, thriving best in dynamic environments. Sponsorship experience on regulatory and technology programmes and familiar with Agile methodologies.
Proposition and Brand Development: Managed customer programs and numerous product and brand launches by leveraging segment insights and robust commercial expertise.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-mccauley-19789125/
8) Bree Fraser – Australia
Bree is the CEO & Founder of Theá Advisory, a multi-family office acting as personal CFO and finance team to ultra-high-net-worth women and their families across Australia.
A high calibre executive with over 20 years of financial experience, Bree was the CFO for the family office of Andrew and Nicola Forrest with +AUD$32bn in investments across resources, energy, agri-food, property, health technology, and consumer & lifestyle. Bree was also the CFO for their philanthropic organization with a corpus of +AUD$2.5bn.
Prior to that, Bree held senior finance roles for large multinational corporations, having worked abroad in Dubai and Singapore for top listed UK companies.
Bree holds qualifications with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia and the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Bachelor of Commerce from University of Western Australia.
Being an avid supporter of women empowerment and equality, Bree is a proud Non-Executive Director of Coaxial Foundation; Fundraising Committee Member for Ruah Community Services; and Member of Chief Executive Women.
Linkdin:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/bree-michelle-fraser/
9) Lisa Annese – New South Wales, Australia
Lisa Annese was appointed Chief Executive Officer for Chief Executive Women in January 2025.
This follows ten years as the CEO of the Diversity Council Australia is the only independent, not-for-profit workplace diversity advisor to business in Australia.
Lisa has contributed widely to the public debate on issues relating to gender pay equity, paid parental leave, women in leadership, cultural diversity and workplace flexibility. Prior to her current appointment, Lisa was DCA’s Programs & Member Services Director where she provided advice and education to DCA members to improve diversity management.
Prior to joining DCA, Lisa worked as a Diversity Practitioner at Corrs Chambers Westgarth and before then, at the Workplace Gender Equality Agency where she developed the first ever census of ‘Australian Women in Leadership’, the first-ever ‘Business Achievement Awards’ and the creation of the ‘Employer of Choice for Women’ citation.
In 2004, Lisa co-authored “Chief Executives Unplugged: CEO’s Get Real About Women in the Workplace” which was named a “must-read business book” by AFR/BOSS magazine in 2005
Linkdin:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-annese-4b847617/
10) Anissa Levy – Brisbane City, Queensland, Australia
I am a senior executive with almost 30 years’ public and private sector management and leadership experience across a range of roles up to CEO level and including board chairperson. I am a qualified engineer with a passion for creating better and more sustainable services and infrastructure for the community. I have a distinguished track record of driving transformational change across organisations and teams with experience in the infrastructure, transport and environment sectors.
I am a leader with integrity who demonstrates professionalism at all times, takes personal responsibility for actions and proactively manages open and honest communication. I enjoy cultivating a team of diverse talents to challenge status quo and design innovative solutions that equip businesses to navigate challenges and capitalise on opportunities.
I am committed to meeting deliverables and the highest quality standard of work. I remain calm under pressure with a demonstrated track record of making tough decisions when necessary, adapting to changing circumstances, but also holding firm under pressure. In NSW Government, as with my time in the private sector, I have established a reputation for getting the job done and consistently taking on new challenges. My resilience and ability to nurture stakeholder relationships have been key to my success.
Linkdin:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/anissa-levy-b8027b13/
Updated: 8th March 2025
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