Two Filipino Women Make it to Forbes' 50 Over 50 in Asia List
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Forbes is known for its rich lists and 30 Under 30 list, which recognizes achievements by young people in various sectors and discipline. But the business news and features platform has come out with a brand new list that puts the spotlight on women blazing new trails in their chosen fields past a certain age. The 50 Over 50 list honors women “who are part of an exhilarating movement redefining life’s second half and proving that success has no age limit.”
The global list is bannered by familiar names such as U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, chef and TV host Ina Garten, and writer and producer Shonda Rhimes, among many others.
The magazine also came out with a list specifically for women in the Asia Pacific region. In this list, two Filipinos made the cut: Nobel Peace Prize winner and Rappler CEO Maria Ressa and Converge co-founder and President Maria Grace Uy.
Like the Nobel Prize committee, Forbes honored Ressa for her work in journalism and for her commitment to seek the truth against the odds. “The more I was attacked for my journalism, the more resolute I became,” Forbes quoted the 58-year-old in her Nobel acceptance speech. “What was meant to intimidate me and Rappler only strengthened us.”
Esquire Philippines honored Maria Ressa as Hero of the Year in our annual Man at His Best awards
Meanwhile, the 53-year-old Uy, who is the youngest in the list, was recognized for her role in co-founding and growing one of the country’s newest listed companies. She is the wife of co-founder and COnverge CEO Dennis A. Uy.
“In 2019, at age 50, Uy led negotiations for a $250 million investment from Warburg Pincus that bolstered the company’s fiber network to cover 25% of Filipino households,” Forbes said.
Converge went public in 2020 and raised $522 million (about P27 billion) in one of the country’s largest-ever IPOs. “Shares have since risen 70 percent pushing Converge’s market cap to P233 million ($4.6 million).
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Other women in the Asia Pacific list include chef and business owner Cho-Hee Sook of South Korea, who was named Asia’s best female chef in 2021; Samantha Du of China, founder of Shanghai-based pharmaceutical firm Zai Labs; Keiko Erikawa of Japan, who co-founded Tecmo, one of the country’s largest video game developers; artist Yayoi Kusama, also of Japan; author Arundhati Roy of India; and actor and producer Michelle Yeoh, who has starred in numerous Hollywood blockbusters, including Marvel’s Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings and Crazy Rich Asians.
View the Forbes 50 Over 50 Main List here and the Asia Pacific List here.
