RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Businesswoman Luiza Trajano is the only Brazilian in the British newspaper Financial Times’ list of the world’s 25 most influential women in 2021. On Thursday, December 2, in a presentation signed by the newspaper’s editorial board president Gillian Tett, Luiza is pointed out as one of the most outstanding businesswomen and social leaders in Brazil, and an inspiration for entrepreneurs everywhere.
“Luiza Trajano is not particularly well known outside of Brazil. She should be,” Gillian Tett writes. The text also highlights the trajectory of Magazine Luiza’s CEO, who began working at the age of 17 in her family’s shoe store in Franca (São Paulo) and turned the business into one of Latin America’s leading retailers.
The presentation of the Brazilian also mentions how her work includes trips throughout the country to visit stores, listen to employees’ concerns, and give career advice. The newspaper states that the Magazine Luiza group is currently valued at over US$10 billion and employs some 40,000 people.
The businesswoman’s involvement in social issues, such as the fight for gender and race equality, is also highlighted. The presentation text further cites rumors of Luiza Trajano’s potential candidacy for the Presidency, due to her strong leadership in these social issues – but it also states that she is not interested.
In September, Luiza Trajano also featured in Time magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people, with an introduction signed by ex-president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The Financial Times created the annual list of the most influential women with the goal of celebrating women’s achievements in several areas.
This year’s edition includes introductory texts signed by other women, such as European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde from France, Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, and Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
The list has three categories: Leaders, Heroines, and Creators.
Luiza Trajano is listed in the Leaders category, alongside names such as World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, from Nigeria, and Americans International Monetary Fund Chief Economist Gita Gopinath and U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
The Financial Times has selected American Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee who leaked internal company documents and gave rise to the scandal that became known as Facebook Papers, as one of the Heroines.
The Creators category lists Chinese filmmaker Chloé Zhao, American screenwriter and producer Shonda Rhimes, and actress Scarlett Johansson.