Global Women Leaders to Watch in 2026

As the world celebrates International Women’s Day, we turn our focus to the women shaping the future of leadership.

Across coaching, business development, finance, art, and peak performance, these leaders are driving meaningful change. They are building institutions, redefining industries, and inspiring global audiences.

In this special feature, we spotlight 8 Women Leaders to Watch in 2026— visionaries whose impact is only just beginning.

Ute Pfeifer
Entrepreneur | Executive Coach | Architect | Founder, PfeiferINTERCOACH

Ute Pfeifer is an entrepreneur, architect, and executive coach whose work focuses on helping individuals—particularly women—lead more consciously and authentically in both life and business. With a career spanning architecture, entrepreneurship, and leadership development, she brings a unique blend of strategic thinking, structural clarity, and human-centered insight to her work.

Her professional journey began at the age of sixteen in the commercial sector before she later pursued architecture, combining technical precision with creative problem-solving. Together with her husband, Ute co-founded a structural engineering and construction planning company that grew into a thriving enterprise with nearly 100 employees, multiple offices across Germany, and an international presence in Abu Dhabi. The firm became recognized for its high-quality planning services and innovative approach to complex building projects.

Over the years, Ute developed a deep interest in leadership development, team dynamics, and human potential. This passion ultimately led her to establish PfeiferINTERCOACH, where she works with leaders, entrepreneurs, and organizations to strengthen authentic leadership, self-awareness, and purposeful growth.

Today, Ute is also a strong advocate for women’s empowerment, encouraging women to reconnect with their inner voice, embrace change, and consciously design lives aligned with their values and aspirations.

Through her work, Ute Pfeifer continues to inspire individuals and organizations to lead with clarity, courage, and authenticity.

Miriam Schnyder
Founder & CEO, Art X on Glass

Miriam Schnyder is an entrepreneur and creative leader redefining the intersection of art, design, and emotional expression. As Founder and CEO of Art X on Glass, she has transformed a bold glass-painting concept into an international venture collaborating with architects, interior designers, and collectors worldwide.

Launched in 2024, Art X on Glass specializes in reverse glass painting — a technically demanding process that requires artists to paint on one side of the glass while viewing the final image from the opposite side. The medium’s unpredictability and complexity have become central to the brand’s identity, with each piece emerging as a one-of-a-kind creation. Under Miriam’s leadership, the company produces both artistic installations and functional design elements, including large-scale architectural pieces, kitchen applications, and custom interior features.

Miriam leads a multicultural team of artists from across Europe, fostering a collaborative, non-hierarchical studio culture that values creative individuality while maintaining a unified brand vision. Her approach emphasizes emotional resonance as much as technical precision, positioning glass art not merely as decoration but as a meaningful extension of personal space.

Beyond aesthetics, her work challenges perceptions about the role of art in daily life, demonstrating that commercial success and creative integrity can coexist.

By blending global perspectives, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurial drive, Miriam Schnyder represents a leader to watch in the evolving world of functional art and emotionally driven design innovation.

Zulaifah Abdul Ghani
Founder, Cognitio Forge | Finance & Governance Leader

Zulaifah Abdul Ghani is a finance and governance leader with more than three decades of experience spanning multinational corporations, government-linked institutions, and social impact organizations. Throughout her career, she has led financial transformations, strengthened governance frameworks, and supported organizations through periods of structural and strategic change.

A former Regional Chief Financial Officer, Zulaifah has worked across diverse sectors including banking, aviation, logistics, education, and the non-profit space. Her leadership approach integrates financial discipline with long-term sustainability, ensuring that growth strategies remain aligned with strong governance and ethical oversight.

She is the Founder of Cognitio Forge, a Singapore-based advisory practice that works with boards and senior leadership teams to build resilient and forward-looking organizations. Her advisory focus includes strategic finance, ESG alignment, digital transformation, and board effectiveness. Through this work, she supports institutions in developing structured decision-making frameworks while maintaining a people-centered perspective.

In addition to her advisory role, Zulaifah serves on multiple charity boards, contributing to initiatives focused on transparency, accountability, and financial stewardship. She is also an international speaker and facilitator, mentoring emerging finance leaders across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

By combining governance expertise with principled leadership, Zulaifah represents a model of modern financial stewardship — positioning her as a leader to watch in the evolving landscape of global finance and responsible enterprise.

Ana-Maria Ciubota
Founder & CEO, Exclusive Branding Edge Academy

Ana-Maria Ciubota is an entrepreneur and personal branding strategist specializing in strategic visibility and authority positioning. As the Founder and CEO of Exclusive Branding Edge Academy, she has built an international platform focused on personal brand architecture, media positioning, and long-term reputation strategy. Through structured methodologies, she works with founders, CEOs, and senior leaders to strengthen their market presence and establish credible, sustainable visibility.

Holding an MBA in International Business with a specialization in international marketing and luxury branding, Ana-Maria combines academic grounding with applied execution. Her professional portfolio includes more than 75 published articles, 17 magazine covers, and multiple international recognitions.

In 2025, she received National First Place for Best Business Branding UK and was named a Top 50 Winner in the UK Female Entrepreneur of the Year awards. She was also recognized with the Excellence in Brand Strategy Award and the Best CEO Award of the Year.

Through her work in personal branding and media strategy, Ana-Maria represents a leader to watch in the evolving space of strategic visibility and authority-building.

Tee McConnell
High-Performance Health Coach | Founder, Peak Performance by Tee

Tee McConnell is a high-performance strategist, registered nurse, and U.S. military veteran who works with leaders operating in high-stakes environments. She specializes in strengthening physiological capacity under pressure so performance does not collapse when stress rises.

As the founder of Peak Performance by Tee, McConnell helps executives and driven professionals build the internal infrastructure required for sustained output, clear decision-making, and leadership stability. Her work integrates clinical insight, stress physiology, nutrition science, and habit architecture into practical performance systems designed for real-world demands.

Drawing from her background in nursing and the military, she brings a grounded understanding of what pressure does to the body and brain. She teaches leaders how to regulate rather than react, channel stress rather than be eroded by it, and build resilience that scales with responsibility.

Through executive workshops and advisory programs, McConnell speaks on burnout prevention, stress optimization, and performance sustainability. Her message is direct. Regulation is not a luxury. It is a leadership requirement.

By treating nervous system regulation as a strategic asset rather than a recovery tool, Tee McConnell operates at the forefront of human performance and modern leadership development.

Prof. Dr. Stoyana Natseva
Founder & CEO, Happy Life Academy®

Dr. Stoyana Natseva is a psychologist, entrepreneur, and international educator recognized for her contributions to leadership development and transformational coaching. She is the Founder and CEO of Happy Life Academy®, a European-based educational institution dedicated to professional coaching, personal development, and conscious leadership. Through her leadership, the academy has trained and certified thousands of coaches and practitioners worldwide.

Holding a PhD in Psychology and a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), along with advanced degrees in economics and psychology, Dr. Natseva integrates academic rigor with applied leadership frameworks. Prior to establishing Happy Life Academy®, she spent nearly three decades in senior management roles within the banking and finance sector, where she gained extensive experience in organizational performance and human behavior.

Dr. Natseva is also the founder and president of the International Association of Professional Trainers and Coaches (IAPTC), an organization focused on maintaining professional standards and certification pathways within the global coaching industry. She is the author of more than 15 books on emotional intelligence, leadership, and personal growth.

In addition to her academic and institutional work, Dr. Natseva holds a Guinness World Record for organizing and leading one of the longest personal development training events, further reinforcing her influence within the global coaching community.

Through education, research-informed frameworks, and large-scale training initiatives, Dr. Stoyana Natseva represents a leader to watch in the evolving field of conscious leadership and professional coaching.

Yasmine Ghorayeb
Filmmaker | Healthcare Strategist | Executive Leader

Yasmine Ghorayeb is a filmmaker and healthcare leader whose work bridges storytelling, science, and strategy. A storyteller at heart, she develops fiction and documentary films, music videos, and creative media projects that explore identity, resilience, and human connection. Driven by the conviction that powerful stories can challenge perspectives and foster dialogue, her filmmaking examines how personal narratives intersect with collective experience to inspire reflection and meaningful social impact across cultures and communities.

Yasmine holds a master’s degree in pharmacology and therapeutics from McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine, where she built a strong foundation in molecular science and real-world therapeutics. Her scientific training strengthened her analytical rigor and system-level thinking, shaping her commitment to advancing sustainable and accessible healthcare solutions.

She further strengthened her leadership capabilities through the Global Executive MBA jointly delivered by Columbia Business School and London Business School. The program included international seminars and immersive block weeks across New York, London, and Dubai, exposing her to diverse leadership environments and global business challenges. Beyond the classroom, Yasmine has remained highly proactive within the global alumni network – traveling with peers, engaging alumni communities across Brazil, China, Singapore, and beyond, and regularly attending international alumni events to exchange ideas, cultivate partnerships, and explore new horizons.

Within her family-owned group of enterprises, Yasmine has led initiatives to expand access to critical therapies and support national healthcare priorities, including alignment with Saudi Vision 2030. Her leadership emphasizes cross-sector collaboration, healthcare localization, and long-term value creation centered on patient outcomes.

Her work has received international recognition, including selection among 100 Global Power Leaders at a leadership forum hosted at the House of Lords, UK Parliament.

Alongside her executive work, Yasmine is a committed advocate for women’s empowerment, using storytelling to illuminate women’s leadership, encourage creativity and courage, and inspire others to imagine – and lead – with purpose.

By combining creative vision with scientific discipline and executive leadership, Yasmine Ghorayeb operates at the intersection of media, healthcare, and impact-driven innovation, representing a new model of global leadership shaped by both storytelling and science.

Julia Mae Corotan
Personal Development Advocate | Motivational Speaker | Community Leader

Julia Mae Corotan is a personal development advocate and motivational speaker whose work centers on resilience, self-discovery, and purposeful growth. With a multicultural upbringing and international exposure, she brings a global perspective to leadership and human connection.

Her early involvement with AIESEC, a global youth leadership organization, played a formative role in shaping her passion for empowering individuals across cultures. Through these experiences, she developed a deep appreciation for personal growth, collaboration, and service-driven leadership.

Julia is the creator of platforms such as Amica Mea and the Becoming You podcast, where she shares reflections and conversations focused on burnout recovery, identity, and navigating life transitions. Her work resonates particularly with individuals seeking clarity and confidence during periods of change.

Recognized among Rising Women Leaders, Julia’s approach emphasizes authenticity and vulnerability as strengths rather than weaknesses. She draws from her own journey of resilience to encourage others to step into leadership grounded in self-awareness and courage.

Through speaking engagements, digital content, and community-building initiatives, she continues to inspire individuals to pursue meaningful transformation in both personal and professional spheres.

By blending lived experience with leadership insight, Julia Mae Corotan represents a leader to watch in the evolving space of personal growth and purpose-driven leadership.

As leadership continues to evolve, voices like these are shaping what the future will look like. Their work reminds us that progress is driven not only by vision, but by the courage to act on it.

These women are not just leaders to watch — they are leaders helping redefine what leadership itself can become.