Le Pen has followed in the footsteps of her father to become president of the National Front, France’s right-wing extremist party. However, the politician’s softer approach has enabled her to succeed where her father did not: In mid-March, she surpassed current French president Nicolas Sarkozy in the polls, putting her in a strong position for France’s 2012 election.

As the current French Minister of Economic Affairs, Finances and Industry, Lagarde has earned praise for her work—the Financial Times ranked her the EU’s top minister of finance. Now, she’s in the spotlight as she was recently named the head of the IMF after the indictment of Dominique Strauss-Kahn.

Estimated to be worth $23.5 billion, Bettencourt, the heir to the L’Oreal fortune, is one of the richest people in the world. The heiress is as generous as she is wealthy: Her Bettencourt Schueller Foundation pours millions of euros each year into scientific education and research, humanitarian and social projects, and culture and the arts.

Before gaining worldwide recognition for her career as a writer, Guiliano built an impressive business empire as CEO of luxury goods company Clicquot, Inc. And she didn’t stop there. USA Today has dubbed her “the high priestess of French lady wisdom” for her international bestsellers, French Women Don’t Get Fat and French Women for all Seasons.

Though her husband’s former presidency is currently shadowed by charges of corruption, the former first lady continues to promote fashion and artisans as a board member of luxury conglomerate LMVH.

In 2005, after noting a lack of women at the World Economic Forum, Zieseniss de Thuin founded what's referred to as the “Davos for Women,” a forum that provides a platform for women in business to share and debate their viewpoints on politics, economics, the environment and more.

One of the first women to graduate from the prestigious Ecole Polytechnique, Senequier founded AXA Private Equity—now one of the largest private equity firms in Europe—15 years ago. Just last year she headed a major milestone deal: the purchase of Bank of America’s $1.9 billion portfolio of investments.

As French Ambassador for science, technology and innovation, and former president of the National Center for Scientific Research, the nuclear physicist’s research over the last 40 years has been widely published and gained multiple high honors.