Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Vietjet Air CEO. (Photo: Forbes Vietnam)

The only Vietnamese woman on the list, Thao was placed 52nd, down eight places from last year. This is the third year in a row she has been included in Forbes magazine’s list of 100 most powerful women in the world. The list was compiled based on assets, impact, spheres of influence and media presence, the magazine said. It estimated that the budget carrier CEO and the richest woman in Vietnam to have a net worth of around 2.7 billion USD as of last Friday.

Thao, 49, has done business in Vietnam and abroad in many fields, including finance, banking, aviation, real estate, and retail.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was adjudged the most powerful woman in the world for the ninth consecutive year. She was followed by French politician Christine Lagarde, who serves as the President of European Central Bank, and Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi.