9:14am UK, Friday July 29, 2005

Ebay chief executive Margaret Whitman has been named the most powerful businesswoman in the world by Forbes magazine.

Xerox boss Anne Mulcahy was one place behind her in the combined list of most powerful women in the world.

180 Margaret (Meg) Whitman Ebay CEO 13/4/04

Top of the pile: Whitman

Ms Whitman was placed fifth in the rankings, behind overall winner US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, with Ms Mulcahy sixth.

The worlds of business and commerce had a good representation in the top 10, with Sally Krawcheck, Citigroup chief financial officer, in seventh.

Sara Lee chief executive Brenda Barnes rounded off an impressive elite list, coming in at number eight.

The annual list is based on the number of mentions a person has in the media and their impact on the world of economics.

And just to show how fleeting power can be, Forbes highlighted the plight of deposed Hewlett-Packard boss Carly Fiorina.

From a position of 10th in 2004, she was nowhere on the 2005 top 100.

The top-placed British businesswoman was Marjorie Scardino, ranked 18, chief executive of the Pearson media group, replacing Cherie Blair who dropped from 12 to 62.