DBS CEO Tan Su Shan ranks sixth on Fortune 2026 list

DBS Group chief executive officer Tan Su Shan has secured the sixth spot on Fortune’s 2026 Most Powerful Women in Business list, retaining her position as the highest-ranking business leader in Asia [1]. Released on May 27, the 29th annual list recognizes 100 female executives globally, with Citigroup chair and CEO Jane Fraser taking the top spot [2, 3].

Key takeaways

• DBS CEO Tan Su Shan ranks sixth globally and first in Asia on the 2026 list [1, 2].
• She is the only Singaporean in the top 10; Temasek International CFO Png Chin Yee ranks 77th [1, 3].
• Under Tan's leadership, DBS posted a record $10.7 billion net profit in 2025 [2].
• The list is based on the financial health of businesses, influence, innovation, and career trajectory [1].

Record financial performance drives ranking

Tan Su Shan, 58, became the first woman to lead DBS in March 2025 after succeeding Piyush Gupta, who served as CEO for 15 years [1, 2]. Fortune noted that she steered the bank through challenges such as renewed trade tensions and the rise of alternative financial products like cryptocurrencies [2]. Under her leadership, DBS achieved a record net profit of $10.7 billion in 2025, and its market capitalization crossed US$100 billion for the first time, placing it among the world's 25 largest banks by market value [2, 3].

Before becoming CEO, Tan oversaw consumer banking, wealth management, and institutional banking, which accounted for approximately 90% of the bank's revenue [2]. She first appeared on the Fortune list in 2024, ranking 89th while serving as deputy CEO [1]. The top three spots on the 2026 list are held by US executives: Jane Fraser of Citigroup, Mary Barra of General Motors, and Lisa Su of AMD [1, 2].

Global representation and industry trends

The 2026 list features executives who collectively lead 94 companies employing 11.8 million people and generating US$7.3 trillion in annual revenue [2, 3]. While technology and finance dominate the rankings, women are increasingly represented in sectors like energy and artificial intelligence [2, 3]. For example, BP CEO Meg O’Neill ranked 16th, and Fidji Simo of OpenAI, who oversees AGI deployment, ranked 28th [2, 3].

By geography, the United States leads with 10 executives, followed by China with nine, and France and the United Kingdom with six each [2, 3]. The Asia-Pacific region accounts for 20 executives, including Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson and Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou [2, 3]. Despite the influence of the women on the list, Fortune noted that women still head only about 11% of Fortune 500 companies [2, 3].

Why it matters

Fortune's ranking highlights the growing influence of female leaders in major global markets, particularly in Asia's financial sector. The inclusion of Tan and Png underscores the representation of Singaporean executives in high-level finance, while the list's criteria emphasize that corporate power is measured not just by titles but by financial scale, innovation, and societal impact [1, 2].